Effect of the aromatisation with summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) essential oil on the oxidative and microbial stabilities of liquid whole eggs during storage

ABSTRACT

The Algerian essential oil (EO) extracted by hydro-distillation from Satureja hortensis L. (S. hortensis) was characterised by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). S. hortensis (summer savory) was chemotype carvacrol (54.2%) and γ-terpinene (21.1%). In its second part, the present study was conducted to evaluate in vitro, antioxidant activity of savory EO using the 2,2-di-phenyl-1-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH•) free radical scavenging assay. Finally, the EO was screened for biological activities in liquid whole eggs (LWE). The ability of savory EO to scavenge the free radical (DPPH^∙) was very high, exceeding 80%. The long-term oxidative and microbial stability of LWE was positively influenced by EO treatments, increasing the shelf life to more than eight (> 8) days under refrigeration. Therefore, the results obtained in this work confirm savory EO treatment as a promising technology to extend the commercial shelf life of liquid egg products, as well as to maintain the quality of LWE as ingredient in innovative food products.

KEYWORDS:

• Summer savory
• essential oil
• GC/MS
• liquid whole eggs
• aromatisation
• shelf life

Highlights

• The oxidative and microbial deteriorations are a major concern for food technologists.

• The retail display of LWE was subjected to problems of consumer perception.

• Innovative biopreservation technology would be desirable of LWE during storage at 4 ± 1 ºC.

• Savory EO treatment as a promising technology to extend the commercial shelf-life of LWE.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The present research was carried out with the financial support of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) within the Interuniversity Cooperation and Scientific Research Program (PCI) [grant A/033506/10]. The authors are grateful to MESRS of Algeria for financial assistance to this work within the Program CNEPRU [grant F00520120063] and to the Government of Aragón and FEDER 2014-2020 [grant Grupo A06_17R]