Effect of sumac (Rhus coriaria) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) water extracts on microbial growth changes in ground beef meat

The present study investigated the effect of sumac (SWE) and rosemary water extracts (RWE) on microbial growth in ground beef meat during refrigerated storage. The meat samples were explored for changes in TVC, E. coli (0157:H7) and S. aureus populations. Antimicrobial effectiveness of extracts was more pronounced against gram-positive strain compared with gram-negative strain. Antimicrobial impact of extracts was also studied on ground beef meat. It was observed that antimicrobial activity of the water extracts was mostly dependent on the types of microorganisms present in meat. The greatest antimicrobial effect of SWE and RWE was found on S. aureus. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of RWE was lower than that of SWE. The results indicated the strong potential of SWE and RWE as a natural preservative for ground beef meat.