Evaluation of the efficacy of essential oils in inhibiting the growth of meat-spoilage bacteria

• Abeer Majeed saleh

  Author

Due to their high moisture content and protein composition, meat products generally spoil rapidly (within 24 hours) when they become contaminated with bacteria. The primary purpose of this experiment was to examine the ability of clove, thyme, oregano, and cinnamon essential oil to inhibit the growth of common spoilage organisms isolated from three categories of meat (fresh beef, chicken, and frozen). A total of 30 samples (10 each of 3 categories) were purchased from three different sources and tested. Microorganisms isolated from the various sample types were identified using the cultural, morphological, and biochemical characteristics. The agar well diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of the four essential oils, and the MIC of each oil was determined using the diluted broth method. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-squared tests, and Pearson correlational tests were performed. E. coli, S. aureus, Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp., and Bacillus spp. were the most dominant microorganisms isolated in this study. Fresh meat had significantly greater bacterial contamination than frozen meat samples (p <0.05). The highest antibacterial activity was seen with both oregano and thyme oils, as there were greater inhibition zones and lower MIC values for these oils. There was an overall significant negative correlation between both CFU/g and inhibition zone (r = -0.812). Essential oils have strong antibacterial potential to inhibit spoilage microorganisms on meat and could be used as a natural alternative to synthetic preservatives to increase the safety and shelf life of meat.

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