Withdrawal: "Shelf-life extension of buffalo meat using Farsi gum edible coating containing Shirazi thyme essential oil", by Elnaz Saffari Samani, Hossein Jooyandeh, Behrooz Alizadeh Behbahani, Food Science & Nutrition, 2022.

Abstract

At the present research, the effect of Farsi gum (FG) containing Shirazi thyme essential oil (STEO) as an edible coating was investigated on the shelf life of buffalo meat at the refrigerator temperature (4°C). The meat samples were coated with FG containing STEO at levels of 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% and compared with control (uncoated meat) in terms of microbial, physicochemical, and sensorial properties on the days 0, 3, 6, and 9 of the storage. The cytotoxic effect of STEO on colorectal cancer cell lines (HT29) was also evaluated by MTT method. The cytotoxic result of STEO showed that as its concentration increased, the level of cytotoxicity noticeably enhanced, and the cell percentage viability decreased. The count of the pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms was significantly (p < .05) lower in the coated meat samples than in the control. This effect was more pronounced at the highest STEO concentration (1%). The edible coating significantly restrained the pH increase, moisture loss, color change, and hardness reduction in the meat samples. The sensory attributes of the buffalo meat were also retained to a greater extent in the presence of the bioactive edible coating. According to the total viable count assessment, the shelf life of the control and the sample coated with FG without STEO was only 3 days, while that for the samples coated with FG containing 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% STEO was more than 3, 6, 6, and 9 days, respectively. In conclusion, the FG edible coating containing STEO could desirably extend the shelf life of buffalo meat during the refrigerated storage.