Solvent-dependent phytochemical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of Artemisia dracunculus L. extracts and their biopreservative efficacy in refrigerated minced beef

Abstract

Meat spoilage from microbial contamination and lipid oxidation challenges food safety and shelf life worldwide, driving demand for natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives. Methanolic, ethanolic, and acetonic extracts of Artemisia dracunculus L. (tarragon) aerial parts were prepared by maceration and characterized for their physicochemical and phytochemical composition. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH, FRAP, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays, and antibacterial activity was evaluated against five reference bacterial strains. The ethanolic extract (10–100 % v/v) was then applied to refrigerated minced beef for five days, with bacterial populations monitored at days 3 and 5 and pH, lipid oxidation, and color monitored at days 0, 3, and 5. The acetone extract showed the highest total polyphenol content (139.90 mg GAE/g DE), flavonoid content (24.19 mg QE/g DE), and total antioxidant capacity (271.53 mg GAE/g DE). All three extracts displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. In minced beef, the ethanolic extract reduced total aerobic mesophilic flora by 4.1 log CFU/g and Staphylococcus aureus to 1.5 log CFU/g at 100 % concentration by day 5, while thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were reduced by 61.5 % relative to the untreated control. Meat redness (a*) was better preserved throughout storage in treated samples. These results demonstrate that A. dracunculus extracts, and the ethanolic extract in particular, possess significant biopreservative potential and constitute a viable natural alternative for extending the shelf life of refrigerated minced beef.