The effect of chitosan coatings enriched with the extracts and essential oils of Elettaria Cardamomum on the shelf-life of chicken drumsticks vacuum-packaged at 4 °C

This study was conducted to investigate the microbial, chemical, and sensory quality of chicken drumsticks vacuum-packaged at 4 °C, using chitosan (CH) coating containing ethanol extracts and the essential oils (EO) of Elettaria Cardamomum. The treatments were stored for 16 days in cold conditions and investigated in three-day intervals. Total volatile base nitrogen analysis showed that, on the 6th day, the uncoated treatment showed unacceptable values, while treatments containing the EO and extracts stayed below the specified level even on the 16th day. In addition, during storage, the Peroxide values for the uncoated sample were higher than the documented for the coated groups. Results of the Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances index revealed that the sample containing the EO of E. Cardamomum is the best treatment. Regarding to pH on the 16th day, the microbial growth in the mixed sample was 0.46 units lower than the control group. Microbial analysis showed that coating significantly reduce the growth of all five groups of bacteria at 4 ± 1 °C; thus, on the 6th day, the differences between mesophiles, Enterobacteriaceae, psychrotrophic, and H₂S-producing bacteria with the control group were 4.5, 4.5, 2.5, and 2 logs Cfu/g, respectively (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the lactic acid bacteria growth was completely stopped. Finally, it was found that adding EO and extracts could significantly preserve the sensory quality of the samples. Thus, it was concluded that vacuum-packaged CH coatings enriched with the extract and EO of E. Cardamomum can preserve the quality of chicken drumsticks during storage in refrigerators.