Evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of prickly pear extract (Opuntia ficus-indica) applied to chicken sausages

• Grant number: 20/04544-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2020
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal researcher: Marco Antonio Trindade
• Grantee: Letícia Aline Gonçalves
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/09467-5 - Use of green technology to optimize the extraction of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) bioactive compounds by supercritical CO2 and its application in healthier chicken hamburgers, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Fresh sausages are popular meat products among consumers in Brazil. However, the raw materials, as well as the manufacturing processes, are factors that contribute to produce substances that favor lipids and pigments oxidation and microbiological contamination, causing low stability during shelf life. To prevent oxidation and deterioration, it is possible to apply natural extracts from plants, such as the prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), which contains large amounts of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds. Since the application of this fruit as an antioxidant and antimicrobial in meat products is scarce in the scientific literature, the aim of this project is to evaluate the effect of natural extracts of prickly pear on the quality and stability characteristics of chicken fresh sausage during processing and cold storage. The extracts that will be obtained by different methodologies will be submitted to analysis of antioxidant capacity and the with the results it will be possible choosing the best extraction method to incorporate in the next steps. Meat products will be manufactured based on the following parameters: positive control (with the addition of sodium erythorbate), negative control (without the addition of antioxidants) and two different levels of prickly pear extract. Then, the products will be subjected to a series of analyzes to assess the effect of this technology on physicochemical and microbiological stability during cold storage and sensory characteristics of the final products. (AU)