Abstract
Microbial growth and lipid oxidation are the leading causes for degradation of quality attributes of meat. For the preservation and prolonged the shelf life of meat generally, artificial additives are commonly used to delay lipid oxidation and prevent microbial growth. However, their
usage is getting concerned due to adverse health effect. Similarly, repetitions of freezing-thawing cycles also deteriorate meat quality. This aim of the current research was to explore the effect of spent green tea leaves extract (SGTLE), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and repeated
freezing-thawing on physicochemical and biochemical properties of Chevon. Total five samples were prepared by soaking equal amount of Chevon in SGTLE and/or BHT solution. The samples were stored at −18 °C and thawed with distilled water (1:10 ratio). Freezing-thawing
was continued for 5-cycles (30 day/cycles). Dried SGTLE resulted in total phenol content of 73.023±1.45 mg GAE/g, though its antioxidant activity was lower than BHT. Quality changing rate of Chevon was increased with freeze- thawing cycles, but decreased by SGTLE and/or BHT treatments.
Changing in quality parameters followed 1st order kinetics model (R21st > R2zero), though color and protein degraded following zero order. 1% SGTLE+0.01% BHT treatment showed the least degradation rate, whilst 2% SGTLE exhibited almost similar effect as like 0.01%
BHT. Conclusively this study evinced that SGTLE has potentiality to be used as a natural antioxidant.