Effect of Bamboo (<i>Bambusa valgaris</i>) and Elephant grass (<i>Pennisetum purpureum</i>) leaf extracts on Oxidative Stability of Cooked and Raw Broiler Meat

Abstract

Antioxidant potential of bamboo and elephant grass leaf extracts were evaluated in cooked and raw broiler meat stored under refrigeration at 3±20C. To a separate 350g of minced broiler meat, 1.5% bamboo leaf extract (BLE) or elephant grass extract (EGE) was added. There was a negative control without additive while a positive reference control was prepared with 0.01% of Butylated Hydroxyl Anisole (BHA) in 350g of the minced meat. Each sample was divided into 28 parts of 12g each. Fourteen (14) of these were cooked in microwave oven for 1½ minutes while the other 14 parts were left raw. Both cooked and raw samples were stored in a refrigerator for 12 days. Oxidative stability of the cooked and raw samples were monitored at 2-day interval using the Thiobarbituric Acid (TBA) test. The results showed that raw meat samples had lower TBARS values than their cooked counterparts. Addition of 1.5% of BLE and EGE was effective in reducing lipid oxidation however, not as effective as BHA.

Key words: Bamboo leaf extract, elephant grass leaf extract, BHA, Broiler meat.