Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Red Seaweeds for Controlling Foodborne Bacteria in Chicken Fillets

Abstract

Seaweeds are natural resources with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The major objective of this study was to detect the antibacterial and antioxidant potential and bactericidal activity of chicken fillets during storage. The ethanol extract of Gracilaria gracilis had the maximum antibacterial activity, with zones of inhibition of 19 ± 2 mm and18 ± 2 mm against Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and Salmonella enterica ATCC 13311, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the G. gracilis extract ranged from 25 ± 1.25 to 75 ± 5 µg/mL, and this extract was effective against B. cereus. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents were greatest (0.29 ± 0.04 mg GAE/g DW and 37.2 ± 1.8 mg QE/g, respectively) in the G. gracilis extract. G. gracilis extract exhibited a maximum DPPH scavenging potential of 58.4 ± 2.4% inhibition. The chicken fillets were experimentally inoculated with S. enterica and B. cereus and treated with equal proportions of all three seaweeds (G. gracilis, G. latifolium, and H. dilatata extracts) at various concentrations (0 to 8%). The findings revealed that seaweed extracts had antibactericidal effects on chicken fillets stored at 4 °C, reduced the growth of S. enterica and B. cereus, and improved the sensory properties of chicken fillets.