Antibacterial efficacy of Satureja montana L. essential oil encapsulated in methyl-β-cyclodextrin/soy soluble polysaccharide hydrogel and its assessment as meat preservative

As an emerging packaging material, hydrogels have been attracting attention to inhibit foodborne pathogens by encapsulating antimicrobial substances. Herein, an antibacterial packaging material was prepared via incorporation of methyl-β-cyclodextrin/Satureja montana L. essential oil inclusion complexes (MCD/SEO-ICs) into soy soluble polysaccharide (MCD/SEO-SSPS) hydrogel. During, the addition of 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) facilitated the formation of amido linkage between -NH2 and –COOH. Compared with SSPS hydrogel, the MCD/SEO-SSPS hydrogel exhibited a more compact structure. What's more, physical characterization indicated that combining MCD/SEO-ICs with SSPS could improve the hardness, adhesiveness and springiness of hydrogel. More importantly, a good antibacterial activity of SPSS hydrogel was obtained with the addition of MCD/SEO-ICs. On this basis, the application test demonstrated that the prepared MCD/SEO-SSPS hydrogel could reduce the visible count of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in meat samples by 3.5 Log CFU/g during 7-days storage, which retained the freshness of chilled pork and extended the shelf life. The above results indicated that MCD/SEO-SSPS hydrogel can be used as a safe and effective active packaging material for chilled meat preservation.