Effect of Oregano Essential Oil and Rosemary Extract Inclusion with Aloe vera Gel on the Quality and Storage Stability of Cooked Chicken Meat

This study investigated the effect of adding Origanum syriacum L. essential oil and Rosmarinus officinalis L. extract incorporated with 5 % of Aloe barbadensis miller gel on the quality and storage stability of cooked chicken meat. The experiment included five treatments: 1) Control (No additives ); 2) 600 ppm of Rosemary Extract (RE); 3) 500 ppm of Oregano essential oil (OE); 4) Combination of 600 RE and 500 ppm OE (CM); and 5) 200 ppm Sodium nitrite (E-250). Lipid and protein oxidation, sensory panel assessment, and other related parameters were evaluated at different storage times. No significant differences (p < 0.05) were found among treatments regarding both ultimate pH and cooking loss %. All additives showed significant (p <0.05) effect at decreasing both TBARS and total carbonyl values. However, the combination of RE and OE showed the highest significant (p <0.05) preservative effect compared to the other treatments. Moreover, the CM treatment showed the highest antioxidant effect, decreasing total aldehydes (TA) formation. The sensory panel also showed that the CM treatment was the most effective additive at improving meat shelf life regarding the selected sensorial attributes. The OE effect was higher than the RE during storage time, and comparable to the E-250 regarding TBARS, DNPH, TA values, and current sensory attributes. The combination OE and RE incorporated with Aloe carrier gel was a successful replacement that could be used in the meat industry. In addition, the gel was a promising natural carrier for both OE and RE during storage.