Application of lavender and rosemary essential oils improvement of the microbiological quality of chicken quarters

The aim of the present work was monitoring of chicken quarters microbiological indicators after treatment by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil, stored under vacuum packaging, at 4 ±0.5°C for a period of 16 days. The following treatments of chicken quarters were used: Air-packaging control samples, control vacuum-packaging samples, vacuum-packaging with EDTA solution 1.50% w/w, control samples, vacuum-packaging with Lavandula angustifolia essential oil at concentrations 0.2% v/w and vacuum-packaging with Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil at concentration 0.2% v/w. The quality assessment of all samples was established by microbiological analysis. Sampling was carried out after certain time intervals: 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 days. Chicken quarters were stored under vacuum packaging, at 4 ±0.5°C during experiment. Microbiological analyses were conducted by using standard microbiological methods. Anaerobic plate count were determined using Plate Count Agar, after incubation for 2 days at 35°C under anaerobic condition. Pseudomonas spp. were determined on Pseudomonas Isolation agar after incubation at 48 h at 25°C. For lactic acid bacteria were inoculated into Rogosa and Sharpe agar after incubation 48-78 h at 37°C in an aerobic atmosphere supplemented with carbon dioxide (5% CO2). For members of the family Enterobacteriaceae violet red bile glucose agar were used and samples were incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The initial APC value of chicken quarter was 3.00 log CFU.g-1 on 0 day. The number of anaerobic plate count ranged from 3.00 log CFU.g-1 in all tested group on 0 day to 6.11 log CFU.g-1 on 16 day in control group stored in air condition. The initial LAC value of chicken quarter was 3.00 log CFU.g-1 on 0 day. The number of lactic acid bacteria ranged from 3.00 log CFU.g-1 in all tested group on 0 day to 3.58 log CFU.g-1 on 16 day in control group stored in air condition. The initial Enterobacteriacea genera value of chicken quarter was 2.00 log CFU.g-1 on 0 day. Presences of these bacteria were found on all groups at 16 days. The results of this present study suggest the possibility of application the Lavandula angustifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil as natural food preservatives and potential sources of antimicrobial ingredients for food industry.