Study of the effect of treatment with aqueous extracts by oregano and wild basil on raw poultry meat

¹ Department of Food Technology, Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technologies, Agricultural Academy, 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria
² Department of Cryobiology and Biologically Active Substances, Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technologies, Agricultural Academy 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria

^* Corresponding author: nikolay_83@abv.bg

Abstract

The effect of treatment with aqueous antioxidant extracts of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and wild basil (Clinopodium vulgare L.) in refrigerated storage of raw poultry meat was studied. Physicochemical analyzes of meat samples were performed - total protein, ash, fat, dry matter, cooking loss and pH value in dynamics. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the protein profile were determined. The microorganisms’ growth rate in meat during storage at 4°C for a period of 14 d was monitored. After the 7^th d, the total number of mesophilic microorganisms in the meat samples increased to 7.00 log cfu/g, which is indicative of decay. A significant increase in pH value was observed after 14 d of storage, but there were no significant changes in total protein content and protein profile. In all meat samples, the amounts of MDA on days 7 and 14 were significantly below the thresholds indicated in the literature. Experimental groups treated with extracts showed lower values for MDA content compared to the control, which is an indication of certain inhibition of lipid oxidation processes in meat.