Impact of sodium alginate-based film loaded with resveratrol and thymol on the shelf life of cooked sausage and the inoculated Listeria monocytogenes

Mahsa Hashemi; Majid Aminzare; Hassan Hassanzadazar; Shahin Roohinejad; Reza Tahergorabi; Alaa El-Din Ahmed Bekhit

doi:10.1002/fsn3.3702

Impact of sodium alginate-based film loaded with resveratrol and thymol on the shelf life of cooked sausage and the inoculated Listeria monocytogenes

Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Sep 23;11(12):7855-7869. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3702. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Mahsa Hashemi¹, Majid Aminzare², Hassan Hassanzadazar², Shahin Roohinejad³, Reza Tahergorabi⁴, Alaa El-Din Ahmed Bekhit⁵

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health Zanjan University of Medical Sciences Zanjan Iran.
² Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health Zanjan University of Medical Sciences Zanjan Iran.
³ Division of Food and Nutrition, Burn and Wound Healing Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran.
⁴ Food and Nutritional Sciences Program North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Greensboro North Carolina USA.
⁵ Department of Food Science University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand.

Abstract

In present study, sodium alginate biodegradable films containing different concentrations of resveratrol (RES: 0.002% and 0.004%) or thymol (THY: 0.5% and 1%) and their combinations were prepared, and evaluated for their effects on spoilage-related microbial profile, lipid oxidation, sensory properties, and protective effects against Listeria monocytogenes in beef mortadella sausage during 40 days storage at 4°C. The release rate of phenolic compounds was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu test. To assess the shelf life of the product, changes in total viable count (TVC), lactic acid bacteria count (LAB), psychrotrophic bacteria count (PTC), pH levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, and sensory characteristics (taste, color, odor, and overall acceptability) were evaluated. For the sensory evaluation, a panel of 70 semi-trained judges was selected according to their initial performance. Samples wrapped with sodium alginate films containing 1% THY (alone or combined with different concentrations of RES) exhibited lower bacterial counts compared to other experimental groups at the end of the storage period (6.01-6.35 vs. 6.71-8.17 log₁₀ CFU/g for TVC, 5.37-5.83 vs. 6.07-7.11 log₁₀ CFU/g for LAB, 5.08-5.18 vs. 5.40-7.23 log₁₀ CFU/g for PTC, and 6.53-6.92 vs. 7.23-9.01 log₁₀ CFU/g for inoculated L. monocytogenes). Sodium alginate films containing the combination of 0.004% RES and different concentrations of THY showed higher antioxidant effects than other experimental groups (TBARS values of 1.68-1.99 vs. 2.23-3.80 mg MDA/kg sample). The sodium alginate film containing 0.004% RES + 1% THY exhibited the highest antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and highest sensory scores among all treatments. These findings highlight the potential application of the sodium alginate film containing a combination of RES and THY as an active packaging material with natural preservatives in the meat products industry. This application can effectively extend the shelf life and enhance the microbial safety of clean-label cooked sausages during refrigerated storage.

Keywords: bioactive compound; chemical stability; edible packaging; herbal preservative; microbial safety.