Antibacterial potential of red-wine marinades containing essential oils against food contaminants in raw beef

Abstract

Background: Marinades could be prepared with different constituents including wines and essential oils (EOs), using as flavoring agents and natural preservatives. Objectives: The aim of this work was to monitor the antibacterial effect of red-wine marinades containing EOs of Juniperus communis (J), Satureja montana (S) and their mixtures (J+S) on beef. Methods: Marinades - the base one (BM), and the ones with J, S and J+S were prepared, while saline (0.85% NaCl) was used as negative control. Samples were marinated for 24h at 4°C and used for sensory and microbiological analyses. The taste and odor were rated by panelists using the intensity scales. The bacterial growth of aerobic heterotrophic mesophils (AHM), Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria, and inoculated Listeria monocytogenes, was monitored in time-kill assay performed during 15 days of meat storage at 4°C. Results: Sensory acceptable concentrations were up to 0.5%, 0.125% and 0.25%+0.125% for J, S and J+S, respectively. They were used in time-kill assay which revealed that bacterial counts of all monitored groups were significantly dropped in the marinades, comparing to saline. The remarkable effect was achieved with BM, with the drop of approximately 2-3 logCFU/g. The addition of EOs improved the antibacterial effect and additionally decreased the logCFU/g for 1-2.5 units. The further enhance of antibacterial efficacy with EOs mixture was observed in the cases of L. monocytogenes ATCC191111 and AHM. This work elucidated that S. montana and J. communis EOs could provide a safety barrier against L. monocytogenes and food spoilage bacteria and encouraged further research.