Antioxidant effects of Zataria multiflora and Mentha longifolia essential oils on chicken meat stored at 4 °C

In this study, the antioxidant effects of different concentrations of Zataria multiflora (ZM) and Mentha longifolia (ML) essential oils (EOs) on ground chicken meat at 4 °C were investigated. Ground meat samples were subjected to five treatments: Control (with no EO), ML0.5 (Mentha longifolia EO 0.5% v/w), ML1 (Mentha longifolia EO 1% v/w), ZM0.25 (Zataria multiflora EO 0.25% v/w) and ZM0.5 (Zataria multiflora EO 0.5% v/w). Subsequently, samples were stored at 4°C and the antioxidant activity of EOs was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power, metmyoglobin and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assays at 1, 4, 7 and 10 days. In DPPH assay, antiradical activity was significantly increased in meat samples with the addition of both ML and ZM, but ZM0.5 showed the highest radical scavenging activity. When reducing power assay was used, only ZM0.5 demonstrated significant effect. ZM0.5, to a lesser extent, ML1 inhibited metmyoglubin production in meat samples. The results of TBA assay showed that the all EOs treatments significantly reduced the lipid oxidation. The results of this study showed the use of ZM and ML essential oils in chicken meat can delay the chemical spoilage process.