Chemical composition, extraction sources and action mechanisms of essential oils: Natural preservative and limitations of use in meat products

Thyme is one of the most important medicinal plants because of its ethnopharmacological relevance and high content of bioactive compounds. This review focuses particularly on thyme as an alternative natural antioxidant and antimicrobial with potential use in the food industry. This is in line with the preferences of the current consumer, who demands healthier and more natural products. Different studies have concluded that the use of thyme increases stability and reduces lipid oxidation during the shelf-life period of foods (meat, meat products, milk, fish or fish products), which makes thyme a promising source of natural additives. Despite these findings, the use of Thymus extracts or essential oils as natural additives in foods is reduced in comparison with other natural preservative extracts. This review provides an overview of the most important information on the positive effect of the bioactive compounds of thyme and its uses as a preservative in foods, taking into account its origin (from plants, plant extracts or essential oils).

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Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties of Meat Coated with Microencapsulated Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) and Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Essential Oils Mixture

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings9070414 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 414 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elvia Hernández-Hernández ◽

Gustavo Castillo-Hernández ◽

Claudia J. González-Gutiérrez ◽

Areli J. Silva-Dávila ◽

Jorge N. Gracida-Rodríguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Meat Products ◽

Thiobarbituric Acid ◽

Ocimum Basilicum ◽

Food Preservation ◽

Natural Food ◽

Pork Meat ◽

Brochothrix Thermosphacta

Microencapsulated essential oils (EOs) are increasingly used to protect the safety of foods due to their natural origin. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical composition of Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) (MOEO) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) (BEO) EOs, their combined effect against E. coli O157:H7, Lactobacillus plantarum, Brochothrix thermosphacta and Pseudomonas fragi, and their effect on microbiological and physicochemical properties of coated pork meat. EOs chemical composition was determined by GC/MS, their microencapsulated mixture (4 mg MOEO/mL/11 mg BEO/mL) was added to a filmogenic dispersion. Fluorescent probes were used to study the antimicrobial filmogenic active dispersion (FD) effect. Pork meat pieces were coated without microencapsulated EOs (CC), using FD (AC), or uncoated (C), vacuum packed and stored 28 days at 4 °C. Thymol (28.9%) and linalool (23.7%) were the major components of MOEO and BEO, respectively. The cell membrane of all bacteria was damaged by contact with FD. FD-coated samples (AC) exhibited the lowest concentration of 2-thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) (0.027 ± 0.001 mg malonaldehyde/kg meat) and natural microbiota growth, while odor and color were the most accepted by untrained judges (range > 6). Coatings added with microencapsulated EOs mixture are a natural food preservation alternative to increase the shelf life of refrigerated meat products.

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