Encapsulation of Verbascum sinaiticum Leaf Extract as a Natural Antimicrobial for Controlling Microbial Growth in Beef During Refrigerated Storage

The efficacy of plant-derived antimicrobials in meat systems is frequently limited by interactions with proteins, lipids, and other food matrix components that reduce the bioavailability and antimicrobial activity of phytochemicals. This study evaluated the antimicrobial effectiveness of Verbascum sinaiticum (V. sinaiticum) leaf extract encapsulated using maltodextrin (MD), gum arabic (GA), and a maltodextrin–gum arabic blend (MDGA, 8:2 w/w) through freeze-drying for application in raw beef during refrigerated storage (4 °C). The encapsulation systems exhibited process yields of 42.5–54.7%, encapsulation efficiencies of 78.3–92.5%, and loading capacities of 18.5–24.3 mg GAE/g DW, with MDGA showing the highest encapsulation efficiency. The effects of encapsulation on microbial inhibition, physicochemical properties, and sensory quality were investigated over 15 days of storage. Aerobic plate counts in the control increased from 3.04 to 8.26 log CFU/g, whereas encapsulated treatments showed significantly lower final counts (p < 0.05), reaching 7.89 log CFU/g (MD), 7.96 log CFU/g (MDGA), and 7.95 log CFU/g (GA). Similarly, encapsulated treatments reduced Escherichia coli counts during storage, with maltodextrin (MD) exhibiting the greatest inhibitory effect (6.23 × 105 CFU/g) compared with the control (6.93 × 105 CFU/g) on day 15. However, reductions in Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Candida albicans, and Bacillus cereus remained below 1 log CFU/g, indicating limited antimicrobial efficacy under the tested conditions. All encapsulated treatments slowed pH increases during storage (6.20–6.34) relative to the control (6.62) on day 15 and preserved aroma quality throughout the storage period. Overall, encapsulation improved the antimicrobial performance of V. sinaiticum extract compared with the free extract, particularly in MD-based systems; however, the antimicrobial effects in beef remained modest. These findings highlight both the potential and current limitations of encapsulated plant-derived antimicrobials for meat preservation and emphasize the need for optimized delivery systems to enhance efficacy in complex food matrices.