Investigation of the Antibacterial Effect of Curcumin Against Staphylococcus aureus in Chicken Meat

Purpose: Food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus is among the most common foodborne illnesses worldwide. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effect of curcumin against S. aureus. Methods: Chicken breast samples were inoculated with S. aureus at a concentration of 2.0 × 108 CFU/mL and subsequently immersed in a 1%, 2%, or 3% curcumin solution for 15 minutes. The subsequent bacterial load in the chicken samples was quantified on storage days 0, 2, 4, and 6 according to the EN ISO 6888-1 standard. Results: The number of S. aureus decreased by 2.43, 2.70, and 3.49 log CFU/g by the end of the sixth day following the 1%, 2%, or 3% curcumin treatments, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of curcumin against S. aureus was 125 μg/mL. A 3% concentration solution of curcumin demonstrated the strongest antibacterial activity, whereas the sensory evaluation revealed that the consumers preferred the 1% and 2% concentrations. Conclusion: These findings suggest that curcumin has antibacterial properties and can be used as a natural preservative in food products to control S. aureus contamination.