Antioxidant effect of oregano essential oil during various storage meat time of hybrid combination Ross 308

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Origanum vulgare L. Hirtum essential oil on the oxidation stability of raw chicken meat. Oregano essential oil was applied in a different way, on the one hand in a feed for broiler chickens (E1) and on the other hand on a surface of chicken thighs (E2). Broiler chickens were fed during the experimental period in the all groups with commercial feed mixtures except the experimental group of E1 (with the addition of 0.05% oregano essential oil, 50 g EO per 100 g of the feed mixture). In E2 was application of oregano essential oil (0.5%) on surface of thighs 1 mL per 60 g of meat realized. The oxidative stability of the chicken meat was investigated in the same way, 8th days after vacuum-packed and stored at temperature 4 °C and 6, 9 and 12 months after vacuum-packed and storage at -18 °C. The samples of the E1 consisted of breast and thigh muscles with skin (150 g) and of the E2 thigh muscle with skin (60 g). The impact of oregano essential oil was measured by content of fat and peroxide value (PV). Fat content in both experiments was not affected by storage time and EO addition. Content of chicken meat fat in E1 in control group ranged between M = 9.64 – 12.95 g.100 g-1 and in experimental group contained similar amount of fat mean from M = 9.94 – 12.24 g.100 g-1; E2: in control group M = 7.01 – 7.73 g.100 g-1 and in experimental group M = 6.15 – 8.03 g.100 g-1. Measured peroxide values confirm that oregano essential oil has effect on broiler chicken meat oxidative stability, if applied to feed, manifested statistically significant differences between control and experimental group. The mean of peroxide value in control group of E1 was M = 0.58 –3.60 µmol O2.kg-1 and in experimental group was M = 1.06 – 2.11 µmol O2.kg-1. We found not statistically significant difference in peroxide values, if applied oregano essential oil to raw chicken meat. The results impact of oregano essential oil on chicken meat comparable to control group, but a tendency to improve oxidative stability was indicated.