Abstract

Lamb meats are nutritious, easily metabolisable, and offer suitable substrates for the growth and metabolism of microorganisms. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the antagonist effect of Laurus nobilis leaf extract against growth of bacteria present in fresh lamb meat. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis was used to identify bacteria present in lamb meat samples. Eighteen bacterial species were detected in 20 samples of fresh lamb meat. The antibacterial activity of L. nobilis leaf extract against growth of the isolated bacteria was examined using agar well diffusion method. Gram-positive and Gram-negative showed differences in their response to L. nobilis leaf extract. Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Proteus vulgaris were the most bacteria affected by L. nobilis leaf extract. Spraying fresh lamb meat with 10% (v/v) L. nobilis leaf extract was found to increase the shelf-life of lamb meat kept at room and refrigeration temperatures from 1 to 3 and 6 to 13 days, respectively. L. nobilis essential oil seems to be a promising tool that can be used as a natural preservative for fresh lamb meat.

Key words: Fresh lamb meat, Laurus nobilis, 16S rRNA gene, antibacterial activity.