Effect of Thyme aqueous and alcoholic extract on the Beef Mincemeat shelf life extension

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of thyme has been well established against various microorganisms. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of aqueous and alcoholic extract of thyme on beef mincemeat quality. Three differential concentrations (0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 mg/ml) of both thyme extracts were used for the beef mincemeat preservation. Untreated meat samples were considered as the control group while the extracts treated beef mincemeat are stored at 4°C for 7 to 14 days. To validate the extract's ability to prolong the storage period at 4 °C, various bacteriological indicators like total plate count, presence of total coliform, Salmonella, Shigella, and Staphylococcus aureus count were assessed. The results of the antimicrobial assay of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of thyme at different concentrations showed that the aqueous extract had significant inhibitory action on the growth of a wide range of bacteria compared to the alcoholic extract. Thus, the thyme aqueous extracts can be efficient and promising as preservatives for meat and its products, especially at high concentrations to inhibit bacterial growth