Enhancing Ground Beef Shelf Life Using Psidium guajava Leaf and Oliveria decumbens Essential Oils: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Quality Preservation Effects Under Refrigeration.

Authors

Porandokht Barkhordari, Siavash Maktabi, Maryam Ghaderi Ghahfarokhi, Ali Heshmati

Published in

Food science & nutrition. Volume 14. Issue 8. Pages e72191. Epub Aug 03, 2026.

Abstract

This study evaluated guava leaf essential oil (GL-EO) and flowers and seeds of Oliveria decumbens essential oil (Od-EO) for their antimicrobial, antioxidant and sensory effects in ground beef. The essential oils were applied individually and in combination to ground beef samples (control, GL-EO, Od-EO, and GL-EO + Od-EO), which were packaged in sterile polyethylene zip-lock bags and stored at 4°C for 10 days. In vitro analyses revealed concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, with Od-EO showing superior efficacy attributed to its high content of thymol and carvacrol. Antioxidant assays demonstrated strong radical scavenging capacity for both oils, with Od-EO exhibiting 1.5-fold higher activity in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays compared to GL-EO (p < 0.05). In ground beef applications, microbiological analyses (total mesophilic/psychrotrophic counts, coliforms and fungi) showed that both oils significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited microbial growth, with the GL-EO + Od-EO combination exhibiting notable preservative effects (approximately 2 log CFU/g reduction compared to controls). Chemical analyses revealed 45% lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values in treated samples, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) levels maintained at < 20 mg/100 g throughout and improved storage, pH stability (6.3-6.5 vs. 6.8 in controls) (p < 0.05). Sensory evaluation indicated that the combined treatment received the highest acceptability scores for color, odor, texture, and overall acceptability, without negative sensory impact. The GL-EO treatment also achieved high scores in preserving odor and color. These effects are associated with the oils' bioactive compounds (thymol, carvacrol, limonene, β-caryophyllene). These results suggest that these essential oils, particularly in combination, can serve as effective natural preservatives, extending shelf-life while maintaining quality. All treatments significantly extended shelf-life by 4 days compared to control (p < 0.05).

PMID:
42553200
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Oct 2026.

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