PRESERVATION POTENTIAL OF COMBINATION OF CLOVE AND LEMON BASIL ESSENTIAL OILS ON FRESH CHICKEN MEAT

Clove and lemon basil are widely used in Indonesian culinary and known for their antimicrobial properties. This study was designed to identify the chemical constituents of individual clove and lemon basil essential oils and evaluate the effects of their combinations for the preservation of chicken meats. The essential oils were obtained from a steam and water distillation method and their chemical constituents were analyzed with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). Their potential preservation effect was evaluated by observing the physical characters of the meats and the reduction of the microbial growth on the meats during 15 days of refrigerated storage. The major constituents of clove essential oil were eugenol, β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene, while those of lemon basil were estragole, linalool, E-citral, and Z-citral. The combination of clove and lemon basil essential oils, particularly at ratios of 1:1 and 2:0.2% v/v, capable of delaying the changes of physical characters of the meats until the final day of storage. Those two ratios showed the best reduction in the microbial growth in day 3 and 9, respectively. This preservation potential might be related to the high proportion of eugenol and citrals in both essential oils.