This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and color‐stabilizing effect of different levels (0, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 ppm) of trans‐cinnamaldehyde (TC) in ground spent hen meat patties (raw and cooked) stored at 4C under aerobic conditions. Treatment with TC did not affect (P > 0.05) the pH, cooking yield and color characteristics of spent hen meat patties. The TC treatment reduced (P < 0.05) the thiobarbituric acid values from 2.045 to 0.623 and 2.213 to 0.650 mg malonaldehyde/kg in raw and cooked meat patties, respectively, during 9 and 21 days of storage. Treatment with TC also reduced (P < 0.05) the peroxide value in both raw and cooked meat patties compared with control. These results clearly demonstrate the antioxidant potential of TC in ground spent hen meat. Further investigation is required to elucidate the antioxidant mechanism of cinnamaldehyde and its effect in different meats.
Practical Applications
With the increasing demand for natural ingredients as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in food processing, the quest for innovating newer bioactive compounds is rising. Recently, few researchers have explored the potential of using trans‐cinnamaldehyde (TC), a natural spice extract as an effective antimicrobial for controlling Escherichia coli organisms in meat and meat products. The findings of the present investigation explore the antioxidant efficacy of TC in ground spent hen meat. The meat industries may exploit this natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agent to address two of the important deteriorative changes in meat i.e., lipid oxidation and microbial spoilage.