Modeling and Optimization of Essential Oils and Extracts for Meat Quality Evaluation during Storage, with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Analysis of Aflatoxin Levels

Sarah Alharthi¹Rokayya Sami^1*Uguru Hilary²Ruqaiah Bedaiwi³Awatif M Almehmadi⁴Suzan A Abushal⁵Roqayah H Kadi⁶Buthaina Aljehany⁷Eman A. Abduljawad⁷Abeer Aljehani⁷Sarah S Aggad⁷Sarah A Alasmari⁸Dalal abdullah Alkhudhayri⁹Fayez Alsulaimani¹⁰Ahmed M Basri¹⁰

• ¹College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
• ²4Department of Agricultural Engineering, Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, 1334111, Nigeria, Ozoro, Saudi Arabia
• ³5Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴6Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁵7Program of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Turabah University College, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia, Taif, Saudi Arabia
• ⁶8Department of Biologcial Sciences, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21959, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁷9Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁸10Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁹11Department of Home Economic, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia
• ¹⁰12Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

This research was focused on developing a suitable and optimizing model, for dried meat preservation (storability), through the application of natural essential oils and extracts. The dried meat (beef) samples were treated with onion peels extract (OPE), onion peels oil (OPO), plantain peels extract (PPE), and plantain peels oil (PPO), in accordance with concentrations and hybridization levels, provided by Central Composite Design (CCD) model. Two basic independent variables – treatment type and storage time – were evaluated, to establish their impact on six responses: total bacterial viable content (TBC), Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, total viable fugal content (TFC), aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin B2. Based on the CCD optimization guidance, the meat samples were treated with 10 different natural additives, and coded T0 to T9, respectively. Nutritional and microbial evaluations of the samples were done by utilizing standard procedures. Specifically, the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) approach was used to explore the B vitamins and aflatoxins concentrations. The results specified that the plantain and onion waste products safeguarded the meat nutritional integrity and public health safety. Additionally, the optimization result depicted that the hybridized PPO and OPO treatment (T9), demonstrated the optimal efficacy in inhibiting microbial growth, and formation of aflatoxins. The maximum TBC and TFC populations of 3130 and 2180 cfu/g, were recorded in the control (T1) meat samples, respectively. The study found that the essential oils and extracts, effectively reduced the aflatoxins B1/B2 levels, in preserved beef to safe limits, established by the World Health Organization for meat products suitable for human consumption. This study’s results have highlighted the effectiveness of using oils and extracts derived from discarded onion and plantain peels, in improving meat quality, integrity and inhibiting pathogens survival.