Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Effects of Thymus daenensis and Camellia sinensis Ethanolic Extracts of Chicken Meat During Frozen Storage

Abstract

<em>Thymus daenensis </em>Celak. And <em>Camellia sinensis </em>(L.) Kuntze are two important medicinal plants with boost antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The current research was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity of <em>T. daenensis</em> and <em>C. sinensis</em> extracts on chicken meat during frozen storage. The extraction was isolated from the aerial parts of <em>T. daenensis</em> and <em>C. sinensis</em>. Chicken samples were treated into different concentrations of <em>C. sinensis</em> and <em>T. daenensis</em>. Chemical, microbial and sensory properties of treated chicken samples were analyzed through 60 days storage at -18 °C. Samples treated with <em>C. sinensis</em> (0.5%) and <em>T. daenensis</em> (0.5%) had the lowest pH (6.25 ± 0.19), total volatile nitrogen (33.68 ± 0.64 mg/100 g chicken meat) and thiobarbituric acid (1.01 ± 0.00 mg malonaldehyde/kg oil). Furthermore, chicken samples treated with <em>C. sinensis</em>(0.5%) and <em>T. daenensis</em> (0.5%) had the lowest loads of total bacteria (10.91 ± 0.81 log CFU/g), <em>L. monocytogenes</em> (5.82 ± 0.82 log CFU/g) and psychrophilic bacteria (6.16 ± 0.22 log CFU/g) and the best sensory properties. <em>C. sinensis</em> and <em>T. daenensis</em> extracts are efficient candidate as natural preservatives for chicken meat.