Effect of cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions on microbiological safety and quality properties of chicken breast fillets during refrigerated storage

This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions (CON) on the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory attributes of chicken breast fillets during refrigerated storage. The nanoemulsions containing 0.25%, 1.0%, and 2.0% (w/v) cinnamon essential oil were prepared and referred to as LCON, MCON, and HCON, respectively. The results showed that CON could effectively inhibit the microbial growth in chicken breast fillets during storage at 4 degrees C. On day 15, the total viable count of chicken breast fillets treated with CON decreased by 1.00-3.95 log10 CFU/g when compared to the untreated samples (8.50 log10 CFU/g). As compared with controls (8.78 log10 CFU/g), Pseudomonas deceptionensis CM2 cells in CON-treated chicken fillets reduced by approximately 1.42-3.30 log10 CFU/g, respectively, at day of 10. CON also effectively improved the quality attributes of refrigerated chicken fillets during 15 days, such as pH, color (CIE L*, a*, and b*), lipid oxidation, and total volatile basic nitrogen content. HCON-treated fillets presented the highest scores in overall acceptance of sensory properties during storage. In summary, CON can be used to ensure the microbiological safety and quality of chicken meat during the chilled condition.