Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and volatile compounds in chicken breast meat infused with plant extracts and subjected to electron beam irradiation.

The effect of irradiation on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and volatile compounds in raw and cooked nonirradiated and irradiated chicken breast meat infused with green tea and grape seed extracts was investigated. Chicken breast meat was vacuum infused with green tea extract (3,000 ppm), grape seed extract (3,000 ppm), or their combination (at a total of 6,000 ppm), irradiated with an electron beam, and stored at 5 degrees C for 12 d. The targeted irradiation dosage was 3.0 kGy and the average absorbed dosage was 3.12 kGy. Values of TBARS and volatile compound contents of raw and cooked chicken meat were determined during the 12-d storage period. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values ranged from 15.5 to 71.4 mg of malondialdehyde/kg for nonirradiated raw chicken and 17.3 to 80.1 mg of malondialdehyde/kg for irradiated raw chicken. Values for cooked chicken ranged from 31.4 to 386.2 and 38.4 to 504.1 mg of malondialdehyde/kg for nonirradiated and irradiated chicken, respectively. Irradiation increased TBARS and hexanal values of controls and meat infused with plant extracts. Hexanal had the highest intensity of volatiles followed by pentanal and other volatiles. Cooking the samples significantly (P < 0.05) increased the amounts of TBARS and volatiles. Addition of plant extracts decreased the amount of TBARS as well as hexanal and pentanal values. Although irradiation increases lipid oxidation, infusion of chicken meat with plant extracts could reduce lipid oxidation caused by irradiation.

Effect of plant extracts on physicochemical properties of chicken breast meat cooked using conventional electric oven or microwave.

This study evaluated effects of vacuum-infused fresh chicken breast meats with grape seed extracts, green tea extracts, or tertiary butyl hydroquinone on pH, texture, color, and thiobarbituric reactive substances after cooking using a microwave or conventional electric oven for 12 d storage at 5 degrees C. Thiobarbituric reactive substances values of uncooked (raw) chicken breast meats for 0 to 12 d of storage ranged from 1.12 to 3.5 mg of malonaldehyde/100 g of chicken. During 0 to 12 d of storage, thiobarbituric reactive substances values ranged from 2.50 to 7.80 and from 2.4 to 7.35 mg of malonaldehyde/100 g of chicken breast meat cooked by microwave and conventional electric oven, respectively. Meats cooked by microwave had higher redness and lower lightness values than those cooked by conventional electric oven. Also, meats cooked by microwave had higher maximum shear force, working of shear, hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness values than meats cooked by conventional electric oven. Tertiary butyl hydroquinone was the most effective in raw and cooked meats in reducing lipid oxidation, followed by grape seed and green tea extracts. Plant extracts are effective in preventing undesirable changes in chemical properties in chicken breast meat caused by microwave and conventional electric oven cooking.