Abstract
Pistacia lentiscus fruits are ingredients of traditional Cypriot sausages. The objective of this study is to evaluate P. lentiscus extracts as natural additives to the sausages. First, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fruit and leaf extracts were determined. Results revealed that leaves are richer source of polyphenolic antioxidants than fruits, with methanol being the better extraction solvent. In the next step, the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of methanolic extracts (300 mg/kg) in the pork sausage formulation were investigated. Peroxide, acid and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values demonstrated that both fruit and leaf extracts reduced the rate of lipid oxidation of sausages at 4 °C. Total viable count revealed significant differences on the fifth day of storage, with better microbial inhibition by leaf extract. No significant differences between the extracts were observed after the tenth day of storage. Overall, the extracts can be used to prevent lipid oxidation and reduce microbial spoilage during the first days of storage of fresh traditional pork sausages.
Highlights
Nowadays, the food industry is constantly seeking natural, safe and low-cost antioxidant and antimicrobial agents in an attempt to replace synthetic additives
The objective of this study is to evaluate P. lentiscus extracts as natural additives to the sausages
The aim of the present study is to evaluate Pistacia lentiscus L. fruit extract as a food additive to control lipid oxidation and investigate potential effects on total viable count of fresh pork sausages during storage at 4 °C
Summary
The food industry is constantly seeking natural, safe and low-cost antioxidant and antimicrobial agents in an attempt to replace synthetic additives This growing interest is mainly attributed to (i) the plethora of epidemiological studies that has demonstrated the inverse association between the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, (ii) the concerns regarding the safety of the chronic consumption of synthetic compounds traditionally used as preservatives in foods and beverages, and (iii) the public’s conviction that natural antioxidants are safer than their synthetic analogues. Pure phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, diterpenes and tocopherols have been tested as natural additives in meat products [7,8]
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