Replacing added nitrite by Kitaibelia vitifolia extract in dry fermented Sremska sausage

Abstract

The effect of replacement of nitrite by the ethanol extract of Kitaibelia vitifolia on the microbiological safety and oxidative stability of dry fermented Sremska sausages (SS) was investigated. Spices and nitrite salt were added to the control group - batch (B I). Modified nitrite-free formulations of SS were produced with the addition of two different amounts of plant extracts (360 mL per 20 kg of fillings in B II and 600 mL per 20 kg of fillings in B III). The larger addition of the herb extract revealed strong antimicrobial activity, when Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations were determined for 8 microbial strains by microdilution method. The results revealed the highest susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity showed the strongest antioxidant activity in non-vacuumed and vacuumed SS samples obtained from B III, enriched with the larger amount of the herb extract.