Impacts of Essential Oils on Minced Meat Quality and Microbial Stability | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Sciences | ||
| Articles in Press, Corrected Proof, Available Online from 23 October 2025 PDF (761.01 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejvs.2025.420112.3101 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Mohamed Salaheldin Refat* ; Heba Rabiee Desouky; Heba Abd El Shafi | ||
| Fellow in University Hospital, Benha University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This experiment examined the preservative effects of 1% natural essential oils—ginger, basil, and thyme—on minced meat stored at 3±1°C, focusing on microbial growth, chemical spoilage indicators, and sensory quality over 15 days. Initial microbial loads were similar across all samples. The control group exhibited rapid microbial proliferation with total aerobic plate counts (APC) rising from 1.7×10⁴ to 3.3×10⁶ CFU/g by day 6, leading to spoilage by day 9. In contrast, essential oil treatments significantly suppressed bacterial growth: thyme oil achieved the greatest reduction in APC (up to 88.6% by day 6) and extended shelf life to 15 days, while basil and ginger oils extended it to 12 days. Similar inhibitory effects were observed on coliform and Staphylococcus counts, with thyme oil consistently demonstrating superior antimicrobial activity. pH measurements revealed a slower increase in acidity loss in treated samples, particularly with thyme oil maintaining lower pH levels through day 15. Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN) and Thiobarbituric Acid (TBA) assays, indicators of protein degradation and lipid oxidation respectively, showed delayed increases in oil-treated samples, confirming reduced spoilage rates. Sensory evaluation corroborated these findings, where thyme oil-treated meat maintained very good to acceptable sensory attributes until day 15, significantly longer than control samples which spoiled by day 9. Overall, thyme oil revealed the most effective preservative effect among the essential oils tested, effectively enhancing the microbial safety, chemical stability, and sensory quality of minced meat under refrigeration, suggesting its strong potential as a natural alternative to chemical preservatives. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Minced meat; Ginger oil; Thyme oil; Basil oil | ||
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