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

• Grant number: 20/04544-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2020
• End date: January 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Marco Antonio Trindade
• Grantee: Leticia Aline Gonçalves
• Host 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)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GONCALVES, LETICIA ALINE; LORENZO, JOSE M.; TRINDADE, MARCO ANTONIO. Fruit and Agro-Industrial Waste Extracts as Potential Antimicrobials in Meat Products: A Brief Review. FOODS, v. 10, n. 7, JUL 2021. (20/04544-9)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

GONÇALVES, Leticia Aline. Opuntia ficus-indica extracts as alternatives to the use of synthetic additives in meat products. 2023. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT) Pirassununga.