Antioxidant potential of mint (Mentha spicata L.) in radiation-processed lamb meat

The effectiveness of mint leaves, a common herb used in Indian cuisine, as a natural antioxidant for radiation-processed lamb meat was investigated. Mint extract (ME) had good total phenolic and flavonoid contents. It exhibited excellent antioxidant activity, as measured by β-carotene bleaching and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. It also showed a high superoxide- and hydroxyl-scavenging activity but low iron-chelating ability. A positive correlation was found between the reducing power and the antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of ME was found to be comparable to the synthetic antioxidant, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The suitability of ME as an antioxidant was determined during radiation processing of lamb meat. ME retarded lipid oxidation, monitored as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), in radiation-processed lamb meat. TBARS values of ME containing irradiated meat stored at chilled temperatures were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than samples without ME. After 4 weeks of chilled storage, TBARS in irradiated meat containing ME (0.1%) was half of that in untreated irradiated meat.