Alternative control of muscle spoilage by a neem cake extract

Interest in the use of antimicrobial packaging systems for muscle and muscle products has increased in recent years to prolong shelf-life, to improve safety, sensory properties, quality of fresh retail meat and to prevent economic loss. The exploration of plant-derived antimicrobials should be an innovative way to find new alternative substances as meat preservatives for antimicrobial packaging. In addition, the use of plant derived antimicrobial products is important as they represent a lower perceived risk to the consumer. This is the first report dealing with the antimicrobial activity of an ethylacetate (CH3COOCH2CH3) neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) cake extract (NCE) against spoilage bacteria of fresh retail meat (Escherichia coli, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Enterococcus faecalis, Carnobacterium sp., Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus sakei and Leuconostoc sp.) using the broth macro-dilution method. The percentage of bacterial growth reduction (GR%) varies significantly (P ≥ 0.05) in function of the concentration of NCE considered (1:10- 1:100,000). The highest percentage of bacterial growth reduction in appropriate liquid medium was obtained at 10 μg of NCE (GR%:79.75±1.53-90.73±1.53). The obtained results showed that the NCE has a broad range of antibacterial activity. The numbers of viable bacterial cells never significantly (p ≤ 0.05) overcome the inoculums' concentration used to experimentally contaminate meat at each interval considered. NCE should be considered as potential preservative for active packaging of fresh retail meat.