Oregano essential oil nanoemulsion: production, physicalchemical characterization, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity in vitro and application in chicken pâté

Author(s)

Marília Moraes Lovison

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Pirassununga.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT)
• Defense date: 2017-06-08

Examining board members

Samantha Cristina de Pinho; Rodney Alexandre Ferreira Rodrigues; Ana Silvia Prata Soares; Marco Antonio Trindade; Ana Maria Centola Vidal

• Advisor: Samantha Cristina de Pinho; Andrezza Maria Fernandes

Abstract

Oregano essential oil (OEO) can be considered a potential antioxidant and antimicrobial agent due to the presence of phenolic compounds, such as carvacrol and thymol. In recent years, there has been growing interest in using this oil to reduce or replace artificial antioxidants and synthetic preservatives, which are widely used in the food industry. However, the direct incorporation of essential oils in food faces some technological challenges, such as low storage stability (due to high volatility of some compounds) and the difficulty of incorporation, as they are hydrophobic. Therefore, the encapsulation of OEO in nanodispersions can be an alternative to overcome these drawbacks. The main objective of this Thesis was the production and characterization of nanoemulsions encapsulating OEO to evaluate their antioxidant activity and antibacterial action, for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, in vitro and in chicken pate, being that this meat product is considered a favorable food for the multiplication of microorganisms and is also susceptible to lipid and protein oxidation during storage. The nanoemulsions were produced with 3,25% (NA-3.25) and 5% (NA-5) OEO (m/m), obtained by the phase inversion temperature method and presented reduced droplet sizes (25.5 ± 0.12 and 42.4 ± 1.7 nm). Both nanoemulsions presented kinetic stability during 90 days of storage, which made it possible to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of nanoemulsions in vitro and in chicken pâté. The chicken pâté was submitted to 5 treatments, with the purpose of evaluating the physical-chemical stability of each treatment during storage: T1- without antioxidants and preservatives, T 2- 0.06 % (w / w) free OEO, T3 - 6 % (w / w) NA-3.5, T4- 1.2% (w / w) NA-5 and T5: BHT and sodium nitrite. Color parameters determined during storage show that all treatments were discolored, however, this color change was not observed by the panelists during the sensory analysis. The lipid oxidation reactions showed that the nanoemulsions presented higher antioxidant action than free OEO and synthetic antioxidant, BHT and the sensorial analysis of the chicken pâté indicated that the nanoemulsions and the free OEO, in the concentrations used in this study, 0.06% and 0.2 % (w / w), affected the odor and flavor properties of the meat product. Therefore, the antibacterial and antioxidant action of nanoemulsions indicated that nanoemulsified OEO may be a potential substitute for the preservatives and antioxidants synthetic used in the meat products industry. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/25182-4 - Oregano essential oil in nanoemulsions: production, physico-chemical characterization, in vitro antimicrobial activity and case study in chicken paté
• Grantee: Marília Moraes Lovison
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)