Antioxidant activity in meat treated with oregano and sage essential oils

The antioxidant activity of meat treated (homogenized) with oregano and sage essential oils, during meat storage, was determined using the following assays: a thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay, a diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and a crocin assay. Porcine and bovine ground meat samples were divided into three experimental treatments, namely: control (no antioxidant), oregano (oregano essential oil 3% w/w) and sage (sage essential oil 3% w/w). Subsequently, the samples from each treatment were stored at 4 °C, in the raw and cooked (at 85 °C for 30 min) state, and the antioxidant activity was determined after 1, 4, 8 and 12 days of storage. The results showed that the essential oil treatments significantly reduced the oxidation, while the heat treatment and storage time significantly affected the antioxidant activity of the meat. The role of antioxidants appeared to be much more important in cooked meat than raw and the meat proteins greatly affected the antioxidant activity.