Comparing the Effects of Thyme (Zataria multiflora) and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Essential Oils on Microbiological, Physicochemical, and Sensory Properties of Vacuum-Packaged and Refrigerated Chicken Breast

Table 2

Effect of thyme and rosemary EOs on microbial counts of vacuum-packaged chicken breast samples during refrigeration (mean ± SD).

		Days
Microbial tests	Samples	0	3	6	9	12
Total colony counts (log CFU/g)	C1	5.95 ± 0.01^A^d	8.01 ± 0.03^Ac	8.29 ± 0.03^Ab	8.01 ± 0.06^Ac	8.37 ± 0.04^Aa
	C2	5.90 ± 0.01^Be	7.29 ± 0.01^Bd	8.15 ± 0.01^Ba	7.59 ± 0.01^Ec	7.71 ± 0.02^Db
	T1	5.17 ± 0.02^De	6.43 ± 0.02^Ed	7.22 ± 0.04^Ec	7.90 ± 0.01^Cb	7.98 ± 0.02^Ca
	T2	4.95 ± 0.01^Ee	5.96 ± 0.00^Fd	6.78 ± 0.01^Fc	7.59 ± 0.02^Ea	7.27 ± 0.05^Eb
	R1	5.83 ± 0.01^Cd	7.11 ± 0.01^Cc	8.08 ± 0.04^Ca	7.95 ± 0.02^Bb	8.05 ± 0.05^Ba
	R2	5.82 ± 0.01^Cd	6.95 ± 0.00^Dc	7.70 ± 0.01^Db	7.70 ± 0.01^Db	7.90 ± 00.02^Ca
E. coli counts (MPN/g)	C1	110^A^a	110^Aa	46^Ab	9^Bc	9^Bc
	C2	110^Aa	110^Aa	4^Bb	4^Cb	0^Dc
	T1	110^Aa	1^Cb	0^Cb	0^Eb	0^Db
	T2	9^Ca	0 ^Db	0^Cb	0^Eb	0^Db
	R1	110^Aa	110^Aa	46^Ab	15^Ad	24^Ac
	R2	46^Ba	29^Bb	46^Aa	1^Dc	1^Cc
Psychrotrophic colony counts (log CFU/g)	C1	6.95 ± 0.01^A^e	7.84 ± 0.01^Ad	8.64 ± 0.03^Aa	8.19 ± 0.04^Bb	7.95 ± 0.01^Ac
	C2	5.90 ± 0.01^Bd	6.11 ± 0.03^Bc	7.62 ± 0.02^Ea	7.10 ± 0.05^Eb	7.11 ± 0.07^Db
	T1	4.78 ± 0.00^Cd	5.48 ± 0.03^Cc	8.39 ± 0.03^Ca	8.37 ± 0.03^Aa	7.53 ± 0.00^Cb
	T2	4.78 ± 0.00^Ce	5.31 ± 0.04^Dd	6.78 ± 0.01^Fc	7.40 ± 0.04^Da	6.89 ± 0.04^Eb
	R1	5.91 ± 0.01^Be	7.84 ± 0.02^Ac	8.47 ± 0.02^Ba	8.12 ± 0.05^Bb	7.66 ± 0.02^Bd
	R2	5.90 ± 0.00^Bd	7.86 ± 0.01^Aa	7.67 ± 0.02^Db	7.70 ± 0.03^Cb	7.59 ± 0.02^Cc

A–F: mean values with different superscript letters in a column are significantly different (). a–e: mean values with different superscript letters in a row are significantly different (). (C1: air-packaged, C2: VP without EO, T1: VP + 0.1% thyme EO, T2: VP + 0.3% thyme EO, R1: VP + 0.1% rosemary EO, and R2: VP + 0.3% rosemary EO).