Exploring the synergistic effects of plant powders and essential oil combination on the quality, and structural integrity of chicken sausages during storage

This study investigated the synergistic effects a novel natural preservative, ‘Combination B’—comprising of powders of roselle and moringa flowers combined with cinnamon essential oil in a ratio of 5.5:4:0.5 in preserving the quality and structural integrity of chicken sausages stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 20 d. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified 31 functional groups, including alcohols and aromatics. Antioxidant activity was confirmed through 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⋅⁺) (50.56 µg/mL) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (437.09 µMol Fe²⁺/g) assays. Five chicken sausage groups: C1 (no preservative), C2 (150 ppm sodium nitrite), and three treatments with varying levels of Combination B (%) and sodium nitrite (ppm) viz. T1B (0.25% + 75 ppm), T2B (0.50% + 50 ppm), and T3B (1.00% + 0 ppm) were formulated. Amongst test samples, Combination B (T3B) significantly (p < 0.05) improved cooking yield (98.46% vs. 97.19%), reduced spoilage indicators viz. pH (6.13–6.23 vs. 6.29–6.51), water activity (0.972–0.969 vs. 0.970–0.965), peroxide value (0.79–3.52 meq/kg vs. 0.85–6.03 meq/kg), and total volatile basic nitrogen (4.27–19.88 mg/100 g vs. 4.32–28.24 mg/100 g) of sausages during storage study, when compared to control (T3B vs. C1). The color analysis revealed lower L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness), but higher a* (redness) values in treated sausages. Histological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed better structural integrity in Combination B-treated samples. Overall, Combination B effectively preserved the quality and microstructure of chicken sausages, thus demonstrated its potential as a safer, and natural alternative to synthetic preservatives for health-conscious consumers.