Effect of Medicinal Plant Extract Incorporated Carrageenan Based Films on Shelf-Life of Chicken Breast Meat

This study was performed to examine the possibility of water extracts for several medicinal plants, such as Amomum tsao-ko, Alpinia oxyphylla, and Citrus unshiu, as an active packaging ingredient for prevention of lipid oxidation. Chicken breast meats were packed with medicinal plant extracts incorporated carrageenan based films and their physico-chemical and microbial properties during storage at 5oC were investigated. In chicken meat samples packed with A. tsao-ko (TF) or A. oxyphylla (OF) extract incorporated carrageenan based films, pH value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and the population of total microbes were significantly lower than those of the negative control (film of no extract was incor-porated, CF) after 5 d of storage (p<0.05). Especially, TBARS value of TF (0.12±0.01 mg malonaldehyde/kg meat) was significantly lower than chicken meat samples packed with positive control (ascorbic acid incorporated film, AF, 0.16±0.01 mg malonaldehyde/kg meat) at 3 d of storage, and it means TF has enough antioxidative activity to prevent the lipid oxida-tion of chicken meat. However, there was no consistent effect on VBN values of chicken meats packed with medicinal plant extracts incorporated films during storage. Based on the obtained results, it is considered that A. tsao-ko extract has potential for being used as a natural antioxidant ingredient in active packaging areas. Key words: chicken, medicinal plant, carrageenan based film, TBARS, microorganism