Carvacrol and organic acids marination in chicken fillets. An antimicrobial and antioxidant approach.

Introduction: Bioactive compounds and organic acids are being applied for a wide range of foods against different types of food-borne pathogens. In the present study, carvacrol (1000mg/L) was applied in wine-based marinades, alone or in combination with tartaric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid and acetic acid ( 0.5% & 1% w/v), in chicken fillets and their antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity and pH were estimated during refrigerated storage.

Methods: Likewise, their antimicrobial activity was recorded versus Enterobacteriaceae, Total Mesophilic Bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. ,Yeasts/moulds & Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) . Meat samples were keptunder refrigerated storage (4^oC)during the total experimental time which reached 11 days . Samples were taken for analyses during 1st-3rd-5th-7th-9th & 11th day, for decimal dilutions after overnight incubation at 37^oC. The Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and the antioxidant activity of the applied marinades were determined with the use of Folin- Ciocalteau method and ABTS & DPPH radical scavenging activity methods, respectively. As control, meat samples mariated only with wine and salt were used.

Results: The results of the present study demonstrated that the application of wine-based marinades containing organic acids significantly affected the physicochemical properties and microbiological stability of chicken meat during refrigerated storage. 

Among the microbial groups examined, the strongest inhibitory effect was observed for Enterobacteriaceae and total viable counts, where marinated samples showed reductions of up to 2 log CFU/g compared with the control during intermediate storage days. Similar trends were also observed for Staphylococcus spp., lactic acid bacteria, and yeast/mold populations, although the magnitude of inhibition varied among microbial groups.

The pH results showed that marinated samples maintained lower pH values (3,76-5,3) compared with the control samples (4,2-5,5). Furthermore, in terms of antioxidant properties, the results of the DPPH(327-393 μg Trolox/mL) , ABTS (655-720 μg Trolox/mL)  and total phenolic content assays (0,7-1,2 mg GA/mL) demonstrated that the marinades exhibited higher anti-oxidative values in comparison with their respective controls.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of such marinades as a natural preservation strategy for improving the safety, quality, and shelf life of poultry products.