Abstract—The objectives of the present study were to propose a proper use of thyme essential oil in industrially produced chicken nuggets instead of synthetic antioxidants and investigate its effect on the lipid oxidation; also to evaluate the effects of such intervention on chemical and organoleptic characteristics of freezing stored nuggets. The essential oils of Thymus Daenensis, Thymus vulgaris and Thymus kotschyanus were extracted by using Clevenger apparatus. The essence with greatest antioxidant activity was calculated with IC₅₀ and added to chicken nuggets formulation. The antioxidant properties of essential oils were investigated by determination of thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and peroxide values in prepared chicken nuggets throughout the 6 months storage at -20°C. Proximate analysis was determined and organoleptic characteristics were also evaluated in chicken nuggets after 3 and 5 months of storage. Among the four tested essential oils, Zataria multifora essence showed the lowest IC₅₀ (1.09 mg/ml) and then highest antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant effect of thyme essential oil was shown by the lower peroxide value and TBARS levels found in thyme-treaded nuggets. Treated nuggets with thyme essential oil had greater acceptability by the panellist than control samples. Thyme essential oil can be successfully used in chicken processing industry as a natural antioxidant substituted for synthetic antioxidants. 
 

Index Terms—chicken nugget, lipid oxidation, thyme, essential oil, peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid

Cite: Neda Ganjali Dashti, Maryam Mirlohi, Marjan Ganjali Dashti, Maryam Jafari, and Nimah Bahreini Esfahani, "Antioxidant Effect of Thyme Essential Oil on Oxidative Stability of Chicken Nuggets," International Journal of Food Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 115-120, December 2015. doi: 10.18178/ijfe.1.2.115-120