Bio-modulation of specific biochemical markers linked with oxidative stability in frozen beef

Cold storage has been implicated in the alteration of several biochemical parameters and other cellular components in meat, despite its beneficial attributes. Thus, this research seeks to mitigate the breakdown process in meat, during cold storage (-18 °C) using plant extracts for 28 days. Fresh beef samples were aseptically collected, evaluated, and treated using 5, 10, and 15% Xylopia aethiopica, Rhaphiostylis beninensis, Piper guineense, and butylated hydroxytoluene, respectively, alongside the control setup for this experiment. The endogenous enzyme activities, haem iron content and lipolytic parameters were estimated at the beginning and end of the experiment. The results showed that the beef samples immersed in the spice formulations had increased activities in their endogenous antioxidant enzymes i.e., Peroxidase (11.21 × 10–4 units/mg tissue), Catalase (8.89 × 10–4 units/mg tissue), Superoxide Dismutase (13.60 × 10–4 units/mg tissue) at 5, 5, and 10% X. aethiopica, respectively, compared to the control (Peroxidase = 2.57 × 10–4 units/mg tissue, Catalase = 2.86 × 10–4 units/mg tissue, and Superoxide Dismutase = 4.04 × 10–4 units/mg tissue). It also improved the level of haem iron content (3.02 mg/kg at 5% combined spice formulation), while decreasing the rate of lipolysis (free fatty acid = 0.06 g Oleic acid/100 g fat at 5% P. guineense and acid value = 0.08 at 10% P. guineense). Therefore, the outcome of this investigation further affirms that the spices are promising replacements for synthetic chemical antioxidants for sustaining the oxidative quality of frozen beef.