Antimicrobial Activity of Iranian Zataria multiflora Boiss. Essential Oil and Ethanolic Garlic Extract in a Protein-Rich Food

Background: Ready-to-cook breast chicken is susceptible to bacterial changes, which, in turn, adversely affect both food quality and consumers’ health. Objectives: This studywasintended to investigate the antibacterial potency of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil (ZEO)andethanolic garlic extract (EGE) against four bacterial strains, namely S. aureus, B. licheniformis, E. coli O157:H7, and S. enteritidis in ready-to-cook breast chicken. Methods: Initially, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were measured to define baseline concentrations for in-vivo applications. Afterward, the chicken pieces were contaminated with the given microorganisms before marinating them with ZEO and EGE. Cell viabilities were computed throughout storage at 4°C. A five-scale test was carried out to assess organoleptic features. Results and Conclusions: The findings indicated that the two agents could successfully reduce the bacterial growth although ZEO was more effective than EGE. A better in-vivo antimicrobial performance was observed for ZEO in contrast to EGE, approximately demonstrating a comparable behavior under in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. The concentrations of EGE and ZEO with significant bacterial growth showed lower scores in the sensory survey.