Taruma (Vitex megapotamica) extract: a promising natural antioxidant for frozen burgers

Extrato de Tarumã (Vitex megapotamica): um promissor antioxidante natural para hambúrgueres congelados

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the addition of taruma aqueous extract as a potential antioxidant to beef burgers during frozen storage, given that the fruit is abundant and easy to handle. Five formulations were made with the addition of different compounds with antioxidant characteristics as follows: negative control (no addition of antioxidants), positive control (0.1% sodium erythorbate), LIC (0.1% Licrezz TM ), EX (0.5% taruma extract), ERI/EX (blend of 0.05% sodium erythorbate and 0.25% taruma extract). The physicochemical and technological properties of the burgers were evaluated. The addition of taruma extract caused small changes (color, pH, TBARS) in the product’s characteristics, during 180 days of frozen storage, with no changes in the reddish color, an important factor for marketing the product. Regarding the lipid oxidation assessed by the TBARS assay, although some changes were observed for all formulations, the burgers made with pure extracts showed a significant improvement of approximately 35% in the oxidative stability for the period studied. Thus, the results demonstrated the efficiency of taruma extract as a promising source of antioxidant agent and a potential natural color stabilizer for frozen beef burgers.