Effect of Citrus Seed Extracts on Oxidative Stabilityof Raw and Cooked Chicken Meat

The potential of extracts prepared from seeds of three citrus species (orange, lemon and grapefruit) to stabilize lipid oxidation of cooked and raw broiler meat under refrigeration storage was evaluated and compared with butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA), a synthetic antioxidant. The citrus seed extracts were separately applied at a rate of 1.5% of the weight of the meat. There was a negative control without any additive and a positive control with 0.01% of BHA. Each sample was divided into 28 parts of 12.5 g each. Fourteen of these were cooked in microwave oven for 1½ minutes while the other 14 samples were left raw. Both cooked and raw samples were stored in a refrigerator for 12 days at a temperature of 4 ˚C. Oxidative stability of the cooked and raw samples was monitored at 2 day intervals using the Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay. The result shows that all the additives and BHA were able to reduce lipid oxidation in broilermeat than the negative control. Addition of citrus seed extract was effective in reducing lipid oxidation in both cooked and raw broiler meat under refrigeration. Thus, oxidative stability of chicken meat can be prolonged for 12 days with citrus seed extracts under refrigeration storage.