Application of electrospun fibers based on zein containing Ajowan extract in preservation of turkey fillets

Background and objectives: Electrospun fiber mats prepared by electrospinning technique from natural polymers have received growing attentiveness in the field of active packaging because of the high surface area to volume ratio and appropriate mechanical characteristics. Multifunctional polymeric electrospun fibers may be utilized as a promising approach to protect antioxidant/antimicrobial constituents from external effects with possible utilizations in medicine, chemistry, and smart/active food packaging materials. Given that turkey fillets are sensitive to deterioration owing to the environmental and microbial effects during refrigerated storage conditions further investigations regarding improving the shelf-life properties are of unquestionable interest. The aims of the present study were to investigate application of electrospun fibers based on zein containing Ajowan extract in preservation of turkey fillets.
Materials and methods: In the present study, electrospun zein fiber mats containing different concentrations of Ajowan extract (0.75%, 1.5%, and 3%) were prepared using the electrospinning technique which was set up at a flow rate = 0.8 ml/h, voltage = 17 × 103 kg m2/s3 A, tip-collector distance = 20 cm, and syringe volume = 1 ml. Ajowan plant were procured from a regional bazar in Kermanshah, Iran. The chemical (pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, and peroxide value) and microbial (total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, and yeasts/molds) of turkey meat samples during 8 days storage at refrigerated conditions were evaluated based on standard methods. The culture media were used as follows: plate count agar, de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe agar, violet red bile agar, and Dichloran rose Bengal chloramphenicol agar, respectively.
Results: The encapsulation efficiency of Ajowan extract 0.75%, 1.5%, and 3% into the zein fibers were 88.72 ± 0.34%, 89.67 ± 0.21%, and 89.56 ± 0.29%, respectively. Our findings showed that the lowest microbial population and chemical changes were significantly found in turkey fillet samples packaged with zein + extract 3% electrospun fiber mats (P < 0.05). In this group, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value, total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, and yeasts/molds were determined to be 6.52, 20.33 mg N/100 g, 0.49 meq peroxide/kg lipid, 5.41 log CFU/g, 4.72 log CFU/g, 3.83 log CFU/g, and 2.41 log CFU/g, respectively.
Discussion: Findings of this study indicate that the potential application of electrospun zein + Ajowan extract 3% fiber mats for enhancing the shelf-life properties of turkey fillets to 8 days at refrigerated storage conditions with appropriate microbial and chemical properties. To utilize the prepared polymers as active food packaging, further research is required regarding their physic-mechanical, structural, and thermal stability properties.