# Antimicrobial Effect of Lippia citriodora Extract in Combination with Gallic Acid or Octyl Gallate on Bacteria from Meat

## TL;DR

This study explores how a plant extract combined with other compounds can reduce bacteria in chicken meat, potentially improving food safety.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is evaluating the antimicrobial synergy of Lippia citriodora extract with octyl gallate in meat preservation.

## Key findings

- Octyl gallate showed the strongest antimicrobial effect against meat-origin bacteria under various conditions.
- The combination of LCE and octyl gallate was bactericidal at pH 6.7 and 4 °C.
- The combination reduced spoilage bacteria in chicken meat stored under modified atmosphere.

## Abstract

Chicken meat and its derivatives are easily alterable. They are a nutritionally healthy food, and their consumption has seen a remarkable increase worldwide in recent years. At the same time, consumer demand for the use of natural products to control microbial growth is increasing. In this context, the antimicrobial capacity of a commercial extract of the lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) plant, (LCE) was tested in binary combination with gallic acid or octyl gallate against two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of meat origin: Carnobacterium divergens ATCC 35677 and Leuconostoc carnosum ATCC 49367. First, the antimicrobial potential was evaluated by the checkerboard microdilution method at the optimal growth temperature of each and at 4 °C, pH 5.7 and 6.7, in culture medium. Octyl gallate was the most effective antimicrobial against the two bacteria under all study conditions. At 4 °C, the combination of LCE with octyl gallate had a similar antimicrobial effect on the two LAB, being bactericidal at pH 6.7. In chicken breast, this effective combination was tested in normal or modified atmosphere and refrigerated (4–8 °C) for 9 days. LCE + OG in modified atmosphere reduced the different microbial groups studied, including the lactic acid bacteria as the main microorganisms responsible for the spoilage of fresh meat. Further research could pave the way for the development of novel strategies contributing to the technological stability, security, and functional properties of chicken meat.