Antimicrobial effect of oregano and sage essential oils against spoilage microorganism in turkey legs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of oregano and sage essential oils on spoilage microorganisms of turkey legs. Air-packaged (AP, control samples), AP with essential oil emulsion, AP with warm (53°) essential oil emulsion, vacuum-packaged (VP, control samples), VP with essential oil emulsion, VP with warm (53°) essential oil emulsion are the treatments of turkeys legs. The turkey legs were stored under AP for 20 days and VP for 28 days at 2°C ±0.5°C. Samples microbiological quality was assessed by the enumeration of psychrotrophic bacteria, pseudomonas, enterobacteriaceae, yeasts and molds, Lactobacillus sp., and Brochothrix thermosphacta. A GC/MS analysis was carried out. Carvacrol, o-Cymene, and Linalyl acetate, Linalool, are the major compounds in oregano and sage EOs, respectively. The combination of oregano or sage oil emulsion with AP or VP has significant effects against spoilage microorganisms, especially the combination of warm (53°) oregano oil emulsion and VP. Sensory analyses of different samples revealed that the combination of warm oil emulsion with VP recorded the highest sensory score by panelists. Our study's findings suggest that the application of warm oregano or sage oil emulsion can be recommended as natural food preservatives.