Effets de l’extrait de Scolymus hispanicus sur la qualité nutritionnelle de la viande bovine

Abstract

This study investigated the potential use of hydroethanolic extracts of Scolymus hispanicus L. (Spanish oyster thistle), specifically obtained from the leaves, stems, and roots, as natural preservatives for minced meat stored at 4 °C for 21 days. Initially, the plant fractions were characterized according to phytochemical parameters (extraction yield, total polyphenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins), followed by biological parameters (antioxidant activities using DPPH and TBARS, and anti-inflammatory activity), before being applied to meat matrices. The leaves were found to be the richest in total polyphenols (97.07 ± 4.51 mg GAE/g) and condensed tannins (20.91 ± 0.91), while also showing a substantial average flavonoid concentration (60.61 ± 19.64). In addition, the stems exhibited the highest extraction yield (23.694%). However, the in vitro tests (DPPH and anti-inflammatory activity) did not show statistically significant differences between the plant organs, mainly due to considerable variability between replicates and a lack of precision in the final expression of the results (absorbance versus inhibition percentage). The most significant effect concerned the application to meat: the three extracts considerably reduced TBARS values compared with the control (3.111 ± 0.031 mg MDA equivalents/kg) and markedly increased the inhibition rate of oxidation (from 66.80% to 84.11%), without causing any notable changes in the total lipid content, protein content, or pH among the extracts. This profile is consistent with the expected effect of a natural antioxidant, which protects the meat matrix against lipid oxidation without altering its proximate composition.