Carboxymethyl cellulose-based edible coatings emulsified with Lemongrass oil for enhancing the storage stability of refrigerated broiler meat

The present study aimed to analyze the effects of lemongrass essential oil emulsified with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based edible coating on the physicochemical characteristics, microbial status, and oxidation level of raw chicken meat during refrigerated storage. In the first phase, lemongrass oil (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% (w/w)) and prepared emulsions (1-4% (w/w)) were characterized through DPPH assay, antimicrobial testing, total phenolic content, and droplet size analysis. In the second phase, the best treatment (emulsion containing 2% (w/w) lemongrass essential oil) was applied to the chicken samples intentionally contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. T₁ (chicken + E. coli O157:H7 + 2% (w/w) lemongrass oil incorporated in CMC-based edible coating) was compared with positive (chicken - T_{+ ve}) and negative control (chicken + E. coli O157:H7 - T_{- ve}) over seven days at 4 ± 0.5℃. The antimicrobial coating significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the microbial load and exhibited increased antioxidant activity in the chicken meat samples. Furthermore, T₁ exhibited lower hardness values during storage compared to the positive and negative controls. T₁ showed a lower drip loss percentage, lower TVBN values, and less color degradation than the control groups. The study concluded that CMC-based edible coatings, incorporating lemongrass essential oil, effectively controlled the microbial load and maintained the quality of raw chicken meat during storage.