The inhibitory effect of ziziphora and tarragon essential oils on microbial quality of rainbow trout fillet stored at refrigerator

Plant essential oils can prevent the growth of bacteria and increase the shelf life of food products such as seafood and fish. In this study, the effect of zizphora and tarragon essential oils at concentrations of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/L on microbial quality and shelf life of rainbow trout fillets stored at 4 ºC was investigated. The results showed that the essential oils of ziziphora and tarragon were effective in reducing the production of volatile nitrogen bases and the greatest effect was related to ziziphora essential oil with a concentration of 2000 mg/L. It was also observed that the use of ziziphora and tarragon essential oils reduced the total viable counts, psychrotrophic bacteria, coliforms, and Escherichia coli bacteria compared to the control sample, which confirms their antimicrobial properties. It was concluded that ziziphora essential oil with a concentration of 2000 mg/L was more effective than tarragon essential oil in controlling the microbial load and delaying the spoilage of rainbow trout fillet at refrigerator temperature.