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Background: Biodegradable films are appropriate alternatives to synthetic polymers due to their potential to enhance food safety and their function as a carrier for wide a range of food additives especially natural antioxidants. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the potential antioxidant activities of sodium alginate films containing resveratrol (RES) alone and in combination with Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) using an in vitro model. Methods: At first, the major chemical compositions of ZEO were evaluated by GC/MS. Then, the amount of phenolic compounds of sodium alginate films were evaluated by total phenolic contents assay and antioxidant activities of films were evaluated by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Finally, the concentrations of ZEO and RES which showed better antioxidant activities in sodium alginate films were incorporated to films in combination forms to evaluate their synergistic effects. Results: According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis, 35 compounds of ZEO were identified and Thymol (37.94%), p-Cymene (9.50%) and 3-Carene (4.98%) were the most important compounds of essential oil, respectively. The results of the radical scavenging evaluations, showed better antioxidant activities of the films containing RES than the films containing ZEO and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Also, the combined uses of ZEO and RES into alginate films had the synergistic effects (P Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that alginate films incorporated with the combination of ZEO and RES is the appropriate option to postpone the oxidative reactions and can be used as natural antioxidant in the food packaging industry.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the edible coating of Cinnamon Essential Oil (CEO) and Rosemary Essential Oil (REO) incorporated into alginate coating to maintain chemical and sensorial characteristics of chicken meat under refrigeration conditions. Firstly in vitro antioxidant activity of essential oils was evaluated. Then fresh chicken meats were coated with alginate solution containing CEO, REO alone and in combination and treatments were evaluated for Peroxide value (PV), total carbonyls, ThioBarbituric Acid Reactive Substances BARS), TriMethylAmine Nitrogen (TMAN), Total Volatile Basic Nitrogen (TVBN) and sensory quality tests. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in chemical parameters and sensorial attributes in all treatments when compared to control during storage. Therefore the functional alginate-sodium coating containing CEO and REO extended the shelf life of fresh chicken meat during refrigerated storage and could have a valuable food preserving potential in the food industry.

The initial purpose of this study was to compare the in vitro antioxidant interactions between resveratrol (RES) and clove essential oil (CEO) in conventional and nanoemulsion-based basil seed gum (BSG) films. Then, the effects of the best nanoemulsion-based BSG film obtained from in vitro evaluations were determined on oxidative stability and sensory properties of minced camel meat during 20-day storage at 4 °C. The results showed higher in vitro antioxidant activities of nanoemulsion-based BSG films compared to conventional films as well as synergistic effects between RES and CEO. Furthermore, minced camel meat wrapped with nanoemulsion-based BSG film containing RES 4 μg/mL + CEO 10 mg/mL showed better results compared with the control group with the following scores: total carbonyls (0.84 nmol/mg protein), peroxide value (4.03 meq/kg lipid), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (1.03 mg malondialdehyde/kg), and sensory analysis (overall acceptability: 5.4). The finding of the present study can be applied as a new method in meat and meat products packaging industry.

The aim of present study was to compare the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial properties of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films containing resveratrol (RES) and eugenol (EUG), alone and in combination, and to calculate the dose interactions between them. At first, the total phenolic content of CMC films was evaluated. Then, their antioxidant and antibacterial effects of films were determined using DPPH, reducing power, disk diffusion, and broth dilution methods. Finally, concentrations of RES and EUG which showed better results in the CMC films were added in combination forms to calculate their antioxidant and antibacterial interactions. The results showed that addition of RES and/or EUG to CMC films increased the total phenolic content, free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power, and antibacterial activities of the films (p ≤ .05). Gram‐positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram‐negatives. In addition, the combined use of RES and EUG in CMC films had synergistic antioxidant and antagonistic antibacterial effects. The best results belonged to the film containing RES (8 µg/ml) + EUG (8 mg/ml) (p ≤ .05). Considering the results of the present research, we can utilize CMC biodegradable film containing RES and EUG as a natural active packaging in food industry., The aim of present study was to compare the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial properties of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films containing resveratrol (RES) and eugenol (EUG), alone and in combination, and to calculate the dose interactions between them. The combined use of RES and EUG in CMC films had synergistic antioxidant and antagonistic antibacterial effects.

Background and Objectives: The aim of present study was to evaluate the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and Esch- erichia coli, characterization and antimicrobial resistance of their serotypes and genotyping profiles in fresh beef and poultry meats marketed in Zanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 (45 chicken and 45 beef) samples were collected from January to June 2018 focusing on retail meat stores of Zanjan city, Iran. Foodborne pathogen detection and antimicrobial resistance of isolates performed by PCR and disc diffusion methods, respectively. Simplex PCR method was used for screening hly and uidA genes in L. monocytogenes and E. coli isolates, respectively. Results: Findings revealed high contamination in beef and chicken meats with E. coli (68.89% and 88.89%, respectively) and L. monocytogenes (53.33% and 46.67%, respectively). The most likelihood of E. coli isolates belonged to E. coli 13479 serotype. All L. monocytogenes isolates from beef and chicken meat samples had high similarity with serotypes L. monocyto- genes strain NCTC 10357 and strain MF 4545, respectively. Multi drug resistance (MDR) was seen in both L. monocytogenes and E. coli isolates. Conclusion: This study shows an insight of the current status of beef and chicken meat contamination maketed in Zanjan, Iran with E. coli and L. monocytogenes isolates (high contamination rate), their genotypic profile, epidemiological relation- ship and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that should be considered as a significant public health concern in Zanjan, Iran.

The present study compared the effects of corn starch coatings incorporated with Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) and cinnamaldehyde (CIN) in conventional, nanoemulsion (NZEO) and fortified nanoemulsion (NZEOC) forms, on specific spoilage microorganisms of chicken meat and on the fate of inoculated Listeria monocytogenes during 20 days storage at 4 ± 1 °C. Based on the results of GC–MS analysis of ZEO, carvacrol (36.62%) was the most important compound of essential oil. Samples coated with the starch solution containing nanoemulsions had better antimicrobial activities than conventional forms. Also, NZEOC treatment had the best antimicrobial properties at the end of storage with the following results: Total viable count (7.96 log(10) CFU/g), Psychrotrophic count (7.29 log(10) CFU/g), Lactic acid bacteria (6.51 log(10) CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae count (6.98 log(10) CFU/g), Mold and yeast count (5.16 log(10) CFU/g) and inoculated L. monocytogenes (6.51 log(10) CFU/g). Furthermore, the addition of CIN–ZEO during nanoemulsion formation (NZEOC) increased the antimicrobial properties of the samples compared to individual addition of NZEO and CIN (NZEO + CIN) to the starch solution. Therefore, corn starch coating containing NZEOC is recommended as a natural preservative to enhance the microbial stability of poultry meat.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and chemical effect of Heracleum persicum essential oil (EO), nisin, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and their combination against Listeria monocytogenes both in vitro and in Iranian white cheese model. Materials and Methods: Chemical compositions of H. persicum EO were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. After production of Iranian white cheese, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of EO and nisin and agar spot test of L. acidophilus against L. monocytogenes were evaluated. Results: Hexyl butanoate (25.98), octyl isobutyrate (17.82), methyl butyrate (14.37), and pentyl cyclopropane (12.77) were the main components of the EO. MIC of the EO against L. monocytogenes was 2.5 mg/mL. Combination of nisin (5.3 IU/mL) and H. persicum EO (2500 µg/mL) showed increasing effect against L. monocytogenes (fractional inhibitory concentration = 0.9), while a higher concentration of EO and nisin showed undesirable effect on the cheese flavor. Furthermore, a combination of 1012CFU/g L. acidophilus with H. persicum EO at the concentration of 2.5 mg/mL (T12) showed acceptable sensorial and also antibacterial results in Iranian white cheese. Conclusion: Combination of H. persicum EO, L. acidophilus, and nisin can be recommended as natural preservatives and flavoring agents in cheese. Copyright: Ehsani, et al. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Background and Aim: Extending the shelf life of foods is an essential concept in food safety. Most of the time, foods deteriorate through the growth of microorganisms or oxidation process. Essential oils (EOs) derived from plant material have well-documented antioxidant and antibacterial activity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zataria multiflora Boiss EO (ZEO) and Mentha piperita EO (MEO) on the chemical stability of minced meat during storage at 7°C. Materials and Methods: Total phenolic content, β-Carotene bleaching test, ferric reducing antioxidant potential assay, and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity were used to determine the antioxidant potential of EOs. Five different groups including control, ZEO 0.3%, ZEO 0.5%, MEO 0.3%, and MEO 0.5% were designed to assess the chemical stability of minced meat by measuring pH, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN), and peroxide value (PV). Results: pH did not have any significant change during storage. TBA values in the control group were significantly higher than the treatment groups, especially from the 5th day of storage. TVBN in the treatment group was significantly lower than the control group during storage. PV values in the treatment group were significantly lower than the control group during storage. Conclusion: Results indicate that ZEO and MEO had an excellent antioxidant activity and retarded the spoilage process in minced meat. Keywords: antioxidant, Mentha piperita, minced meat, Zataria multiflora Boiss.

Background and Aim: Cystic echinococcosis, Echinococcus granulosus, and liver flukes, such as Fasciola spp. and Dicrocoelium dendriticum, are important parasitic zoonoses, where they able to cause significant veterinary, medical, and economic problems. The present study was carried out to obtain the updated knowledge on the frequency of hydatidosis, fasciolosis, and dicrocoeliosis in the slaughtered sheep and cattle. Materials and Methods: Information were collected from meat inspection records using systematically visual inspection, palpation, and incision of the visceral organs in the industrial abattoir in Tehran, the capital of Iran, between February 1, 2015, and January 31, 2018. For an analysis of the data, SPSS version 16 was applied. Results: The hydatidosis infection in sheep and cattle was 2.48% and 2.25%, respectively. With respect to liver flukes, 0.62% and 0.25% sheep and cattle were infected by Fasciola spp., respectively; furthermore, 2.86% sheep and 0.79% cattle were positive for D. dendriticum. Conclusion: The findings will provide considerable awareness for the future monitoring and control of these potentially important infections.

Background: Food-borne trematode infections and hydatidosis are endemic diseases caused by helminths in Iran that are responsible for great economic loss and getting public health at risk. Aim: Aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of fasciolosis, dicrocoeliasis, and hydatidosis infections in slaughtered sheep and goats in Nishapour, Khorasan Razavi province of Iran. Materials and Methods: A survey was implemented on 130,107 sheep and goats slaughtered at an abattoir in Nishapour (Neyshbur) city, north central Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran, to determine the prevalence of fascioliasis, dicrocoeliosis and presence of hydatidosis. Results: During a 1-year period of study, among 130,107 of sheep and goats slaughtered at Nishapour abattoir, 1064 and 7124 livers were condemned totally and partially, respectively. A total of 255 (0.19%), 181 (0.12 %), and 7751 (5.95%) of livers were condemned due to cysts of Echinococcus granulosus, flukes of Fasciola spp., and Dicrocoelium dendriticum, respectively. Totally, 1932 (1.48%) lungs were condemned due to hydatidosis. The significant seasonal pattern was seen for fasciolosis, dicrocoeliosis, and hydatidosis, statistically (p

Background: Butter is one of the oldest dairy products known in the world and plays an important role in human nutrition. The aim of this study was evaluating of the microbial quality of traditional and industrial butter marketed in Zanjan. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 29 samples of butter were investigated in 2 groups which 24 samples were of traditionally producedl butter and 5 industrially produced butter samples, randomly collected from the market in Zanjan, Iran. All samples were evaluated for total bacterial count, Staphylococci, coliform, fungi and mold. Results: Fourteen samples of traditional butter had higher coliform load than allowed in standards. Eighteen samples were contaminated with Staphylococcus, and mold was found in 8 samples. Also, fifteen samples were contaminated with Escherichia coli. Among the industrial samples, one was contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus but no contamination by coliform, Escherichia coli and mold and mold was observed. Conclusion: 58.33%, 75%, 33.33% and 62.5% of the traditional butter samples had higher coliform, Staphylococcus, mold and E. coli contamination, respectively than standard limit. One of the industrial samples was contaminated with Staphylococcus. It is recommended that higher supervision on the production and distribution of these products is applied.

Background: Proper nutrition is one of the important, essential and vital factors in providing individuals, family and society health and safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional behaviors of girl students in the school of paramedical and health of Zanjan University of medical sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the winter and spring of 2016. Throughout all girl students in the school 196 students was selected randomly. A researcher made questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: As nutritional behavior only 48% of students had breakfast every day and three main serving was daily schedule in 52% of students. At least 13.8% of them ate fast foods once a week. 17.4% of students ate cheeps, puff and snacks as routine. Just 23.5% of them never drank carbonated drink. Different herbal tea was in daily nutrition of 3.6%. Conclusion: Due to the mentioned results and some wrong behavior and nutritional loss in the students, it seems important to designing suitable training programs to improve nutritional behaviors and avoiding from use of fast foods, poor quality food and in general, providing a healthy nutrition behavior for students is essential.

Background: Zataria multiflora boiss is a member of Lamiaceae family with antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate chemical composition and antibacterial effect of Zataria multiflora essential oil against two foodborne pathogens in meat. Methods: The inhibitory effect of Zataria multiflora essential oil (Minimum inhibitory concentration and Minimum bactericidal concentration) was evaluated against Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes, inoculated in ground beef meat after 3, 5, 7 and 9 days of storage. Results: Result revealed 26 various compounds, representing 96.27% of total oil. Thymol was the most abundant compound among all constituents (29.2%). A significant reduction was observed in Salmonella typhimurium when adding 1 and 2% Zataria multiflora (p

Background: Safe drinking water is one of the main factors in improving health status of the population. The aim of this study was assessment of the microbiological quality, determination of pH and residual chlorine in water coolers’ drinking water in educational centers of Zanjan University of medical Sciences in 2015 and comparing the results with the Iranian national standards. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, water samples of all used water cooler apparatuses were sampled and transferred rapidly to the laboratory. pH and residual free chlorine were measured by pH meter and Chlorine Residual Testing kit, respectively. Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Mold and yeasts count were enumerated according to the Iranian national standards No. 1011, 3759, 5271 and 10899-1, respectively. Data were analyzed through the statistical soft wares. Results: The obtained results indicated that 44.44% of the samples were non-standard because of low residual chlorine. 44.44% and 27.8% of the taken water samples of water cooler dispensers were contaminated with mold or yeast and Escherichia coli, respectively. Conclusion: According to some microbial contamination in water samples of water cooler devices to ensure availability clean water to consumers (students and hospital’s visitors) continuous monitoring, proper maintenance and regular inspection of the water cooler dispensers seems necessary.

Background: The studies on children and adolescents provide the basic information for educational interventions such as the assessment of the knowledge of community health promotion. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of secondary high school students regarding food safety and hygiene in Khorramdarreh, Zanjan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 640 secondary high school students during December 2014-December 2015. The participants were selected via cluster sampling, and data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire after assessing its validity and reliability. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16. Results: The mean scores of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the students were 36.6±6.96 (moderate), 57.95±6.88 (favorable), and 40.59±5.80 (favorable), respectively. The lowest knowledge level of the students was observed in milk and egg hygiene (27%), meat hygiene (35%), effect of temperature on microorganisms (35%), and brucellosisrelated aspects (7.33%). Conclusion: Although the students had a positive attitude toward food safety, they had inadequate knowledge of the effects on their practices. Therefore, it seems that training is essential in the food safety and hygiene fields for students and their parents.

Background and Objectives: The aim of present study was to evaluate the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli, characterization and antimicrobial resistance of their serotypes and genotyping profles in fresh beef and poultry meats marketed in Zanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 (45 chicken and 45 beef) samples were collected from January to June 2018 focusing on retail meat stores of Zanjan city, Iran. Foodborne pathogen detection and antimicrobial resistance of isolates performed by PCR and disc diffusion methods, respectively. Simplex PCR method was used for screening hly and uidA genes in L. monocytogenes and E. coli isolates, respectively. Results: Findings revealed high contamination in beef and chicken meats with E. coli (68.89% and 88.89%, respectively) and L. monocytogenes (53.33% and 46.67%, respectively). The most likelihood of E. coli isolates belonged to E. coli 13479 serotype. All L. monocytogenes isolates from beef and chicken meat samples had high similarity with serotypes L. monocytogenes strain NCTC 10357 and strain MF 4545, respectively. Multi drug resistance (MDR) was seen in both L. monocytogenes and E. coli isolates. Conclusion: This study shows an insight of the current status of beef and chicken meat contamination maketed in Zanjan, Iran with E. coli and L. monocytogenes isolates (high contamination rate), their genotypic profle, epidemiological relationship and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that should be considered as a signifcant public health concern in Zanjan, Iran.

Background: Nowadays, the application of several and natural preservatives in small quantity is a more preferred approach. In this regard, one of the effective methods is the formation of nanoemulsion of essential oils. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the in vitro antibacterial activities of cinnamaldehyde (CIN) and Zataria multiflora essential oil in conventional (ZEO), nanoemulsion (NZEO) and fortified nanoemulsion (NZEOC) forms against common foodborne pathogens. Methods: Firstly, the Zataria multiflora essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS. The nanoemulsion of Z. multiflora essential oil was then prepared alone and fortified with cinnamaldehyde. Finally, their antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli was evaluated. Results: Based on the results, carvacrol (36.62%) was found to be the most important compound of essential oil. In disc diffusion and micro-dilution methods, the addition of CIN to ZEO during nanoemulsion formation (NZEOC) showed more antibacterial activity when compared to the individual addition of NZEO and CIN (NZEO+CIN). However, according to the vapor phase diffusion method, nano-treatments exhibited less inhibitory effects than the other treatments. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the fortification of essential oils with their derived pure compounds during nanoemulsion formation, can be used as a suitable alternative to chemical antibacterial compounds in the food industry.

Meat and meat products are highly prone to microbial deterioration since they are rich in essential nutrients and perishable in nature and if they are not properly preserved, public health problems may occur. Recently, in order to increase the microbial quality of meat and meat products, novel ingredient systems that are associated with natural and organic foods, are applied. Many studies have demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of plant-origin natural antimicrobials in meat and meat products. Nevertheless, advanced technologies can improve the microbial stability and the sensory quality of meat products containing natural extracts and essential oils through different techniques. This paper first reviews the microbial deterioration of meat and meat products and their traditional storage techniques and then discusses the manner and extent of the use of herbal extracts and essential oils in these products.

Lipid oxidation is one of the most important problems that decrease the shelf life of meat and meat products. Antioxidants are used to reinstate free radicals thereby retarding lipid oxidation, delay development of unpleasant-flavors, and improve color stability.Application of synthetic antioxidants to mitigate oxidative damage may consider unsafe for consumers. Furthermore, the recent growing in the understanding of the consumers about these hazards resulted in the replacement ofsynthetic antioxidants with natural bioactive compounds. Plant materials are rich sources of bioactive phenolic compounds; hence they can be an effective alternative to synthetic antioxidants. This review presents an overview regarding the new advances in the application of natural antioxidant compounds such as herbs, spices, fruits, plant essential oils and extracts in meat and meat products to improvetheir quality and shelf-life. © 2019 Aminzare et al.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of corn starch films containing Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) and cinnamaldehyde (CIN) in conventional, nanoemulsion (NZEO) and fortified nanoemulsion (NZEOC) forms, on pH value, oxidative stability and sensory properties of ground beef patties during 20 days of storage at 4 ± 1 °C. Results of mechanical evaluation indicated that all treated films exhibited lower tensile strength (P ≤ .05) and higher elongation at break (P ≥ .05) than control samples. Also, film containing NZEO showed the best results at the end of storage with the following scores: Peroxide value (3.70 meq/kg of lipid), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (1.03 mg MDA/kg sample), carbonyl content (0.83 nmol/mg protein) and sensory analysis (overall acceptibility: 5.85). Furthermore, NZEOC had no positive effect on the antioxidant activity compared with NZEO+CIN. The results of the study can be applied to food packaging industry for particularly meat and meat products.

Autoxidation is considered as one of the main factors responsible for deterioration which occurs during manufacturing, storage, distribution and final preparation of foods. Changes caused by lipid oxidation not only resulting to off-flavor, but also resulting to loss of color, decrease product’s shelf life, nutritional loss and human diseases. Nowadays, edible films and coatings have attracted the considerable attention due to their potential to enhance food quality, food safety and their function as carrier for wide range of food additives specially antioxidants. In this study, the range of 1 to 20 mg/ml concentrations from Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZMEO) and Bunium persicum essential oil (BPEO) incorporated in to corn starch film were used. Antioxidant activity of the bioactive films were determined by 2,2- diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethyl benzo thiazoline-6- sulphonic acid, ABTS) and total phenolic content assays. Results showed that the films incorporated with EOs had better antioxidant properties compared with control group and this effect was significantly improved with increasing EOs concentration (P < 0.05). These finding pointed out that incorporation of ZMEO and BPEO as natural antioxidant agents into corn starch film could be considered as a potential factors for using in active packaging.