ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF MIXTURES OF TAXIFOLIN AND ASCORBIC ACID AS ALTERNATIVE TO THE ADDED NITRITE IN DRY-CURED SAUSAGES.

Taxifolin (TXF) is a flavonoid rarely used as a single compound. It was recently rediscovered as a highly potential antioxidant with reported therapeutic properties. TXF shows a relatively low toxicity, and could be used as food supplement. However the data about possible protective properties of TXF and information about its stability is scarce. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of TXF when it is used together with ascorbic acid (AA) in sausages. Activity of tested materials against lipid (TBA) and protein oxidation, total flavonoid and phenol contents, thiobarbituric acidreactive substances (TBARS) values, DPPH free scavenging activity, ferrous ion chelating agility and microbiological counts were evaluated in dry-cured sausages after 0, 30 days of ripening and 30, 90 and 150 days of storage. TXF+AA effectively inhibited the processes of lipid and protein oxidation and slowed down the rate of lipolysis. Addition of antioxidants decreased (p<0.05) the oxidation, showing TBARS values below 0.4 mg MDA kg^-1 of sausages. Therefore, total phenol and flavonoid contents, were higher in samples with TXF + AA than in samples treated only with TXF. Moreover antioxidants reduced the counts of total aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, mold and yeast during ripening and storage of dry-cured sausages without nitrites. The outcome of this study can help develop new meat products with better nutritional quality and beneficial health aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]