Improving the Quality and Shelf-life of Raw Rabbit Meat During Refrigeration Storage Using Olive/mulberry Leaves Extracts Dipping

Background and objective: The consumption of fresh rabbit meat has become more popular among consumers in recent years, but they are easily perishable. In this study antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of mulberry (Morus nigra) leaves extract (MLE) and olive (Olea europaea) leaves extract (OLE) dip treatments at 2% w/v on the quality attributes and shelf-life of fresh rabbit meat during chilling storage under aerobic conditions were investigated.

Materials and methods: Rabbit meat samples were refrigerated at 4±1°C to be periodically examined for their sensory quality, physicochemical parameters and bacteriological status.

Results: Results indicated that as the time of cold storage progressed, the overall mean scores of physicochemical and microbiological parameters were increased, while sensory scores were decreased (p<0.05) irrespective of treatment. Both natural extracts (MLE/OLE) significantly (p<0.05) delayed oxidative quality changes, protein deterioration and proliferation of bacteria noticed during the chilling study.

Conclusion: Olive leaves extract (OLE; 2%) was more significant (p<0.05) positively affect than mulberry leaves extract (MLE; 2%) in maintaining chemical indices, lipid stability, consumer acceptance, microbial load and can prolonged the expiry of treated rabbit meat by 4 days as compared to control one. Hence, the potential of olive leaves extract to preserve rabbit meat during cold storage has been demonstrated.

Keywords: Mulberry Leaves Extract (MLE); Olive Leaves Extract (OLE); Rabbit meat; chemical indices; consume; microbial quality; natural preservatives.