Evaluation of the Effects of Oral Film of Chitosan Containing the Ajowan Essential Oil on some Chemical Characteristics of Chicken Meat

Edible films can be a safe way for packaging foods such as chicken meat. The addition of plant essential oils to edible films such as chitosan can increase the shelf life chicken meat as well as the acceptability. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of chitosan film containing Ajowan essential oils on the chemical properties of chicken fillet kept at 4°C.

Chemical composition of the essential oils was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer and chitosan films containing essential oils were prepared at two concentrations of 1 and 2% (v / v) by casting method. The chemical factors pH, TVN, TBA and PV in the chicken fillet samples were determined and analyzed by SPSS software, One-way ANOVA and post-test LSD were analyzed.

The results showed that samples packed with films containing essential oils during the study showed lower values of (p≥0.05) pH, TVN, TBARs and PV in comparison with the control and non-essential oils samples and the film containing 2% of essential oils had the best effects as compared to other groups.

The application of chitosan films, particularly with the Ajowan essential oil in chicken packaging, has a great effect on the chemical properties and increases its shelf-life.