The effects of chitosan containing nano-capsulated Cuminum cyminum essential oil on the shelf-life of veal in modified atmosphere packaging

There is a growing demand for active packaging as an emerging phenomenon in improving food quality and shelf life. Encapsulation of natural compounds in nanoliposomes can be used as a protective system during processing and storage.The present study aimed to prepare a biodegradable coating of chitosan with essential oil of cumin nanocapsule. It examine the effects of chitosan coating and the free or nanocapsule Cuminum cyminum essential oil (CCEO) on the chemical and microbial properties of veal samples via modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (20% CO2 and 80% O-2) over a period of 21 days at 4 degrees C. The antimicrobial activity of CCEO was investigated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Additionally, GC-MS analysis revealed that main components of CCEO were Cumin aldehyde (37.34%), gamma-Terpinene (21.14%) and o-Cymene (16.21%) respectively. Nanoliposomes were prepared with an average size of 134 nm via ethanol injection method. Zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency of nanoliposomes were calculated to be 4.60 and 99.97 +/- 0.01%, respectively. Coating had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on reducing the increasing trend of the total microbial count, lactic acid bacteria, enterobacteriaceae, and pseudomonas. The encapsulated CCEO caused significant reductions in pH, thiobarbituric acid and total volatile nitrogen by 5.67 +/- 0.03, 0.59 +/- 0.008 MDA mg/Kg and 15.26 +/- 0.05 mg/100 g respectively until day 21. This study showed that chitosan coating with CCEO maintains the quality and increases the shelf life of samples during storage in cold conditions. Encapsulation slows down the release of CCEO and leads to long-lasting antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Present study suggests that chitosan coatings containing encapsulated CCEO in combination with MAP may be a good option to increase the shelf life of veal.