Active compound diffusivity of particle size reduced S. aromaticum and C. cassia fused starch edible films and the shelf life of mutton (Capra aegagrus hircus) meat.

In the present study, mathematical models were used to examine the effect of active compound diffusion from edible film (supplemented with S. aromaticum and C. cassia) on the microbial, physical and chemical quality of mutton stored at 4 and 10°C. Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol release from edible film into liquid was found to be 80% and 75% of the equilibrium concentration. Active compound release into meat was 42-51% for cinnamaldehyde and 38-48% for eugenol, in storage temperatures of 4-15°C. Developed mathematical models showed the diffusivity of cinnamaldehyde (0.45×10-15±0.04×10-15) and eugenol (0.63×10-10±0.01×10-10) into meat, which was about 40% of that in liquid medium. On comparing physical, chemical and microbial results, shelf life of mutton meat was found to be increased by 1week at storage temperature of 10°C and 3weeks at storage temperature of 4°C.

Potential application of corn starch edible films with spice essential oils for the shelf life extension of red meat.

AIM: To investigate the effect of corn starch (CS) edible films with spice oils on the stability of raw beef during refrigerated storage. METHODS AND RESULTS: The antimicrobial properties of corn starch films containing 0-4·0% (w/v) ratios of clove (CL) and cinnamon (CI) essential oils (EOs) were tested against seven meat spoilage organisms by zone inhibition test. Effects of CS films containing 3% CL or CI or a mixture of CL + CI were also tested in raw beef stored at 4°C. Meat samples were analysed for pH, microbial counts, colour values and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values for a period of 15 days. CS films with CL + CI resulted in a significant reduction in microbial populations in the meat samples and also improved meat colour stability at the end of storage period. CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of spice EOs in CS films may provide antimicrobial and antioxidant activities that could improve the stability of raw meat. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Results from this study may be applied in meat industries as an additional barrier to control microbial spoilage as well as lipid oxidation in meat products.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of spice extracts on the shelf life extension of raw chicken meat.

The antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of different spice extracts in raw chicken meat during storage for 15 days at 4 °C were studied. Raw chicken meat was treated with BHT (positive control), Syzygium aromaticum (SA), Cinnmomum cassia (CC), Origanum vulgare (OV), and Brassica nigra (BN) extracts and the different combinations as well as the results were compared to raw chicken meat without any additive (negative control). The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of spice extracts were determined. Total phenolic contents and flavonoid contents were ranged from 14.09 ± 0.78 to 24.65 ± 0.83 mg of GAE/g and 7.07 ± 0.15 to 12.13 ± 0.24 mg of quercetin/g, respectively. The pH, instrumental color (CIE L*, a*, b*), total viable counts (TVC), Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) counts, Enterobacteriaceae counts, Pseudomonas spp. counts and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined at a gap of 3 days interval for a period of 15 days. The bacterial counts of T-W-SA+T-W-CC+T-W-OV samples were lower than control samples during storage. T-W-SA+T-W-CC+T-W-OV samples maintained significantly (P<0.05) higher L*, a* and b* values while storing. The TBARS values of T-W-SA+T-W-CC+T-W-OV samples were lowest among the samples. These results show that spice extracts are very effective against microbial growth, lipid oxidation and has potential as a natural antioxidant in raw chicken meats.