title: Neem (AzadirachtaindicaA. Juss) Oil: A Natural Preservative to Control Meat Spoilage.
abstract: Plant-derived extracts (PDEs) are a source of biologically-active substances having antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of neem oil (NO) as a preservative of fresh retail meat. The antibacterial activity of NO againstCarnobacterium maltaromaticum, Brochothrix thermosphacta,Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas fluorescens,Lactobacillus curvatusandL. sakeiwas assessed in a broth model system.The bacterial growth inhibition zone (mm) ranged from 18.83 ± 1.18 to 30.00 ± 1.00, as was found by a disc diffusion test with 100 µL NO. The bacterial percent growth reduction ranged from 30.81 ± 2.08 to 99.70 ± 1.53 in the broth microdilution method at different NO concentrations (1:10 to 1:100,000). Viable bacterial cells were detected in experimentally-contaminated meat up to the second day after NO treatment (100 µL NO per 10 g meat), except forC. maltaromaticum, which was detected up to the sixth day by PCR and nested PCR with propidium monoazide (PMA™) dye. In comparison to the previously published results,C. maltaromaticum,E. coli,L. curvatusandL. sakeiappeared more susceptible to NO compared to neem cake extract (NCE) by using a broth model system.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Research Council (CRA), Research Center of Animal Production (CRA-PCM), Via Salaria 31, Monterotondo, RM 00015, Italy. paola.delserrone@entecra.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Serrone
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00161, Italy. chiara.toniolo@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toniolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome 00161, Italy. marcello.nicoletti@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
keywords: Azadirachta indica; HPTLC; antibacterial activity; meat spoilage control; neem oil