Application of pomegranate pomace as a natural antibacterial and antioxidant preservative in beef

Abstract

Although various meat and meat products may include various foodborne pathogens, meat is still an excellent source of nutrients compared to other foods. Due to bioactive materials, numerous plants and their extracts, including pomegranate, have been reported to possess antibacterial and antioxidant effects. Sixty fresh beef samples, bought from the local stores Karkh/ Baghdad, were properly divided into three similar groups; each group included 20 samples. The first group served as a control group, and it was soaked in distilled water. The second group was soaked in a 20g/L treatment dose of pomegranate pomace solution and was referred to as the treated group (T1). The third group was administered as 40g/L pomegranate pomace solution(T2). The results showed that the pomegranate pomace solution (T1 and T2) exhibited antimicrobial activity on the total bacterial count, lipid oxidation, and pH values. The current findings demonstrated that beef immersed into both concentrations of pomegranate pomace was more resistant to elevation in bacterial counting plus lower levels of peroxidation, measured using Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances plus fewer pH values compared to the control, as it was preserved for more days. The pomegranate pomace solutions might be utilized as natural preservatives of meat products, even at low concentrations.