Isolation and identification of the active compounds found in aromatic oils extracted from Mentha longifolia and their use in the extension shelf life of frozen beef patties

Background: Wild mint is a perennial herb from the mint family, native to Europe. It is considered beneficial to the human body, as it has long been used to treat many diseases and problems that affect humans. For thousands of years, medicinal herbs and plants have been used to treat various types of diseases and to improve health care for individuals. Objective: The study aimed to demonstrate the effect of using Mentha longifolia, as it is a substance rich in essential fatty acids, tocopherols, and flavonoids, as effective natural antioxidants and antimicrobials, and its inclusion in food manufacturing, such as the manufacture of meat products such as burgers. Materials and Methods: Our main goal was to use Mentha longifolia, extracted from the Stachys plant using a Clevenger apparatus, and a standardized burger mix was prepared from it. The mixture was divided into four treatments, with Mentha longifolia (T2, T3, and T4) added at 1, 2, and 3% oil, respectively, in addition to the control treatment, T1, without any addition. Microbial tests were conducted on burger patty samples for all treatments before freezing. The treatments were stored at -18°C for 60 days, and tests were performed twice a month. Results: The results of estimating fatty acids using GC-MS technology confirmed that Mentha longifolia contained reasonable amounts of some essential fatty acids. Examining flavonoid content using HPLC showed that Mentha longifolia contains 38 compounds, the most important of which are Caffeic Acid, 4-Hydroxy, Quercetin, and Apigenin. The logarithm of the total numbers of aerobic bacteria, refrigeration bacteria, and staphylococci reached 5.56-5.69, 1.47-1.60, and 4.39-4.44 / g, freezing for 60 days led to a decrease in these values, and the severity of the decline was directly proportional to the percentage of adding Mentha longifolia. Treatments T3 and T4 recorded the lowest values compared to the control treatment. Statistical analysis revealed that the results were not significant at P ≤ 0.05. Keywords: burgers, Wild mint, Mentha longifolia, Antimicrobials from plant sources, Storing meat in the freezer, antioxidant.