STABILITY OF ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTY OF THAI GREEN CURRY DURING CHILLED STORAGE

Abstract

Stability of the antibacterial activity of Thai green curry paste during chilled storage for 30 days after various heat treatment methods was investigated. The antibacterial activities of the curry aqueous extracts were tested against eight bacteria species that are foodborne pathogens and also seafood spoilage organisms including Salmonella typhi, Shewanella putrefaciens, Vibrio cholerae non 01, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus. It was found that the heat treatment methods were able to reduce the total viable count by at least 0.78 and 0.62 log cycle in the pasteurized and blanched samples, respectively. The curry aqueous extract inhibited the growth of S. aureus, S. putrefaciens and P. fluorescens with inhibition zones ranging from 22 ± 5 mm. The heat treatment methods with the chilled temperature were able to keep stable the antibacterial activity of the curry throughout the period of storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Thai green curry is a very popular curry in Thailand. This research has provided information on the effect of the various pretreatments that could be done to the curry before chilled storage. The antibacterial effect of this curry on pathogenic organisms suggested that the curry possesses medicinal value. The stability of the curry during storage is an indication that the curry could serve as a good marination agent for seafoods.