Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology (Oct 2021)

Preservative of Essential Oil Blends: Control of Clostridium perfringens Type a in Mortadella

  • Heloísa Helena de Abreu Martins,
  • Luara Aparecida Simões,
  • Silas Rodrigo Isidoro,
  • Sabrina de Souza Nascimento,
  • João Paulo Alcântara,
  • Eduardo Mendes Ramos,
  • Roberta Hilsdorf Piccoli

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4324-2021200106
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 64

Abstract

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Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of the essential oils of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, oregano, and thyme and their synergism on vegetative cells and endospores of Clostridium perfringens type A inoculated in meat sausage (mortadella), as well as the influence of blends on the color, and lipid oxidation through the determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS index). The anticlostridial action of the oil blends was established. The two added oil blends (Treat. 1: oregano, clove, and thyme; Treat. 2: oregano, clove, and cinnamon) in combination with reduced nitrite content (75 ppm) promoted a lower growth of C. perfringens in mortadella stored at 15 °C for 21 days in comparison to treatments containing only 75 ppm of nitrite. The essential oil blends showed antioxidant action and did not alter food color, thus possessing potential application as a preservative for the meat products industry.

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