Phytochemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Essential Oil on Ground Beef from Boran and Nguni Cattle

Abstract

The global meat industry is characterised by a growing interest in natural preservative additives. This study determined the effect of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil (SBEO) on colour and lipid oxidation in minced beef. The phytoconstituents of SBEO were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Thereafter, minced beef samples from Nguni and Boran cattle were treated with either no additives (control, C) or SBEO added at 2% (SB2), 4% (SB4), or 6% (SB6). The meat samples were aerobically packaged and stored (4 ± 1°C) for seven days for measurement of lightness (L⁎), redness (a⁎), yellowness (b⁎), hue, chroma, and lipid oxidation (acid-reactive substances, TBARS) on days 0, 4, and 7. Thirty-two bioactive compounds with reported antioxidant and antimicrobial and activities were identified in SBEO, including Estragole (41.40%), 1, 6-Octadien-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl (29.49%), and trans-.alpha.-Bergamotene (5.32%). On days 0, 4, and 7, SB2, SB4, and SB6 had higher (P < 0.05) L⁎, a⁎, b⁎, hue, and chroma values; and on days 0 and 4 TBARS were lower (P < 0.05) in SB2 and SB4 than C and SB6. The addition of 2% and 4% SBEO improved colour and lipid oxidative stability, demonstrating potential for its use as a natural antioxidant additive in meat.

Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties of Meat Coated with Microencapsulated Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) and Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Essential Oils Mixture

“…The coating without EOs (CC) provided an oxygen transfer barrier resulting in samples showing lower TBARS than the control. The antioxidant effect showed by the AC samples is in agreement with a report using 4%-6% BEO that did not find TBARS in raw minced meat packed in polyethylene bags at 4 • C [17]. In addition, BEO contains eugenol (Table 1) that is able to donate electrons to inactivate free radicals involved in the propagation step of autoxidation, besides its protective effect against prooxidants like iron [15,16,18].…”

Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antimycotoxigenic, and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils: An Updated Review

“…There are studies performed in the past, up until recent years, investigating the antioxidant characteristics of Nigella sativa L. (black cumin) [ 181 , 188 , 189 , 190 , 191 ], and in all these reports, the antioxidant activity of Nigella sativa L. (black cumin) EO has been mentioned. Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) is another plant EO that has been used in recent antioxidant studies [ 182 , 192 , 193 ]. Ahmed et al [ 182 ] observed that although the EOs of Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) collected from several regions have the same three major components—linalool, estragole, and methyl cinnamate—the difference in their percentages were interpreted as a reason for the significant differences in their antioxidant activities.…”

Ocimum Phytochemicals and Their Potential Impact on Human Health

“…Different test methods have been applied, and it becomes to be understood between the complete essential oil and individual components [70][71][72][73]. A strong chelating effect on metals as iron or copper has been reported to diminish the presence of ROS obtained from reactions bar with these metals [74].…”