Effect of apple peel extract and zein coating enriched with ginger essential oil on the shelf life of chicken thigh meat

This study aimed at introducing a durable and customer-friendly product as a result of immersion of chicken thigh meat in apple peel extract (APE) and corn zein (Z) edible coating enriched with ginger essential oil (GEO) in the refrigerated condition. Antioxidant activities of ethanol (70%) and water extracts of apple peel were examined using reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity assays in maceration, ultrasound, and combined ultrasound and maceration extraction methods. Ultrasound-assisted ethanol 70% APE was found as the strongest antioxidant extract. The chicken thigh meat pieces were divided into six groups as follows: control (C), APE, Z, APE-Z, Z-GEO, and APE-Z-GEO. Then, all of the groups were stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 12 days and analyzed on days 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12. All treatments significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced the population of mesophilic, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, pcycrotrophic, lactic acid bacteria, and fungi compared to the control group. Also, the amount of PV (peroxide value), TBA(thiobarbituric acid), and pH of all treatments were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower than the uncoated samples during storage time. Combined treatment of APE-Z-GEO was the most efficient group among the others, which enhanced the chicken meat shelf life for 12 days. According to the sensory evaluation, addition of APE to the chicken thigh meat improved texture and taste features compared to the other treatments. The samples containing Z received the highest scores in the color feature. APE-Z-GEO and APE treatments significantly (p ≤ 0.05) created the best aroma in the samples among the other treatments. Therefore, APE immersing along with Z coating containing GEO can be suggested as a natural formulation in the shelf life enhancement of chicken thigh meat under the refrigerated condition.