Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Hussain SA, Wani SA, Ahmad SR, Sofi AH, Rather MA, Ahmad SM, Gani A, Farooq S and Nazir T

Abstract:
The present study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidative and antimicrobial potential of Oregano Essential Oil (OEO) as a potential alternative to synthetic preservative, butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) in complex food system i.e., meat emulsion, stored aerobically at refrigeration temperature. The emulsion was divided into four treatments viz., Control (without any additive), Positive control (BHT-200ppm), O100 (OEO-100 ppm) and O200 (OEO-200 ppm). All the treatments were stored in low density polyethylene (LDPE) packs and subjected to refrigerated storage (4±1 ^oC) for a period of 1 week. The antioxidative (TBARS, PV, DPPH-RSA), antimicrobial (TPC) and sensory (Overall acceptability) evaluation of all the emulsion treatments was conducted on 0, 3^rd, 5^th and 7^th day of storage. On the basis of these parameters it was concluded that both OEO-200 ppm and BHT-200 ppm enhanced the shelf life of meat emulsion by 2-3 days and OEO-200 ppm displayed better activity than OEO-100 ppm. Thus, OEO could be used as a natural alternative to replace BHT, a synthetic preservative to augment the shelf life of meat emulsion.