Garcinia as Preservative of Chicken Meat

Natural preservatives increase the shelf-life of meat and meat products since extracts of many herbs, plants, and fruits possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. No scientific reports on Garcinia cambogia fruit extract for use as preservative in meat are available. Hence, the present study was done to evaluate the efficacy of the crude extract of Garcinia cambogia fruit as an antimicrobial agent in chicken meat and for its use as a natural preservative to extend the shelf life of chicken meat chunks and minced chicken meat under refrigerated storage. The in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of a crude extract of G. cambogia fruit against common food-borne bacterial pathogens was evaluated by agar diffusion assay. To evaluate its efficacy in the meat system, minced chicken was inoculated with Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium and the effect of the extract on these pathogens was studied during storage under refrigeration. The extract was tested to evaluate its efficacy as a decontaminating agent in the form of a dip solution and also as a preservative to extend the shelf life of chicken meat chunks and and mince, at 0.5, 1 and 1.5% levels under refrigeration