Green tea extract as natural preservative in chicken patties: Effects on physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties

This study evaluated the addition of green tea extract (GTE) and its effect on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of chicken patties. Hydro-ethanolic extracts (E1, E2, E3, and E4) showed higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents than the aqueous extract (E5). Then, E1 extract was chosen for 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) analysis (showed 75.73% inhibition of DPPH radical), and it was added to chicken patties at concentrations of 0% (control), 0.5% (GT-0.5), and 1.0% (GT-1.0) and analyzed during refrigerated storage. Lower cooking yields and hardness values were observed in GT-1.0. GTE effectively delayed lipid oxidation of chicken patties. Redness parameters were affected, and this was also noted in sensory analysis. However, GT-1.0 showed lower microbiological parameters until day 7 of storage. Therefore, the addition of 0.5% GTE reduced discoloration and lipid oxidation without impacts on sensorial parameters, so is a viable option for the processing of chicken patties. Practical applications Results from this study showed the potential of green tea extract (GTE) addition in chicken patties to improve physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties during storage. The obtained GTE has been analyzed and E1 (extraction conditions of 75% ethanol-water, 15 min at 80 degrees C) showed higher phenolic, flavonoid, and antioxidant activity. The addition of 0.5% (GT-0.5) has proven to be the best alternative for application on chicken patties hence was effective to retard lipid oxidation and improve color stability. In addition, no significant impact on sensory attributes were observed when compared to control treatment. Despite the positive effects on patties lipid oxidation, the addition of GTE at any level was not able to retard the microbial spoilage during the storage. In this context, GTE arises as an alternative for producing chicken patties with lower synthetic conservatives.