RESUMEN
The combined inhibitory effect of essential oils (EOs) with meat-based marinades has not been fully studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to gauge the effect of a yogurt-based marinade when individually combined with three EOs, namely eugenol (EU), vanillin (VA), or ß-resorcylic acid (BR) on camel meat cubes inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7 during storage. Fresh camel meat cubes of 10 g were inoculated with bacteria and dipped in the mixture of marinade and EO. Overall, the study had six EO treatments (EU 0.5%, EU 1%, VA 0.5%, VA 1%, BR 0.5%, and BR 1%) and two controls (meat without marinade and marinated meat). Treated meat cubes were stored at 4°C or 10°C for 1, 4, and 7 d. Adding only marinade to the camel meat at 10°C decreased the pathogens by 0.8-2.4 log CFU/g. At 10°C, BR decreased L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp. by 2.0, 1.5, and 1.3 log CFU/g, while EU caused a decrease (p < 0.05) of 1.9, 1.2, and 0.9 log CFU/g, respectively. Similarly, VA caused a reduction in these microorganisms of 1.3, 1.1, and 1.0 log CFU/g, respectively (p < 0.05). The combination of marinade and EO resulted in a decrease of the pathogens ranging from 0.9-1.4 and 2.8-3.7 log CFU/g at 4 and 10°C, respectively. The antimicrobial efficacy of EO alone or when combined with marinade was higher at 10°C than at 4°C with all three pathogens at both 0.5% and 1%. Overall, EOs were found to enhance the microbial safety of camel meat. In addition, they are antimicrobials that occur naturally, require a minimum investment, and may prove to be a great asset for marinated camel meat producers.