Biopreservative Effect of the Tunisian Halophyte Flavonoid Fraction, Used Alone and in Combination with Linalool in Stored Minced Beef Meat.

In the present study, () flavonoid extract (FV) was characterized by HPLC analyses and five compounds were detected. Further, to describe the chemical content of the matrix, GC-MS analyses after silylation were performed; the obtained results showed the presence of a large number of components belonging to several chemical classes, mostly sugar alcohols, sugars, fatty acids, and terpenes. Firstly, the antibacterial activities of this fraction and linalool (Lin) were evaluated against eight foodborne pathogenic strains with MIC values between 2.3 and 5.8 mg/mL and 0.23 and 0.7 mg/mL, respectively. Then, the antioxidant activity of both was evaluated by the DPPH antiradical test and the phosphomolybdenum test. Furthermore, the biopreservative effect of FV alone and in combination with Lin on minced beef stored at 4 °C for 14 days was evaluated using microbiological and physiochemical tests. FV at 4.6% alone significantly reduced microbial spoilage in ground meat ( < 0.05). The combination of FV (4.6%) and Lin (0.46%) was more effective than FV alone in inhibiting bacterial contamination, reducing TBARS values and the risk of bacterial contamination, and reducing the accumulation of Met myoglobin (MetMb). This combination, therefore, extends the shelf life of the product by about 10 days. Based on these microbiological results and physicochemical parameters, it can be stated that the addition of Lin potentiates the flavonoid fraction of more strongly against the deterioration of meat quality by significantly improving its biopreservative effect as a natural conservative.