The Effect of Adding Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extracts on Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Beef Burger During Frozen Storage

Extracts of the leaves of Moringa oleifera plant have high potential as natural antioxidants and antimicrobials, and offer an alternative for the improvement of meat quality during frozen storage by enhancing both palatability and safety. In comparison with the control samples, for all sampling times (0, 3, and 6 months of frozen storage), moringa-treated samples indicated a substantial reduction in lipid oxidation parameters, especially free fatty acid formation. It was also found that both extract type and concentration significantly affected oxidative stability. Oxidative inhibitory activity was in order alcoholic > oil > aqueous extract. This protective effect was enhanced with an increase in extract concentration, which confirmed the dose-dependent nature of bioactive components to prevent lipid degradation under frozen storage. 'Although freezing can slow down chemical and enzymatic reactions, the fact that fat oxidation was not altogether prevented in untreated samples served as evidence of the necessity to include natural additives for a combined preservation approach with traditional methods.' Thus, it can be inferred that the moringa leaf extract is a natural and safe substitute for synthetic antioxidants to improve the shelf life of frozen burgers with acceptable quality and sensory attributes to consumers.