Effects of Water Extract of Urtica dioicaL. on the Quality of Meatballs

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of lyophilized Urtica dioicaL. water extract (LUWE) on some properties of meatballs. Meatballs were produced with the following five different formulations: control (meatballs treated without LUWE or vitamin E); meatballs with 250ppm LUWE; meatballs with 500ppm LUWE; meatballs with 250ppm vitamin E; and meatballs with 500ppm vitamin E. Samples were stored under aerobic conditions at 4C for 9 days. Only pH (P<0.01) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; P<0.05) values of the meatballs were affected by the addition of LUWE or vitamin E. Storage time had a significant effect (P<0.01) on all parameters except fat and cooking loss values. Storage time and cooking of meatballs increased TBARS values. Cooking decreased L*, a* and b* values of both external and internal surfaces. The results show that 250ppm LUWE has the potential to be used in meatball production. Practical Applications Lipid oxidation is one of the main problems that often result in a significant loss of quality and acceptability of meat and meat products. Use of antioxidants, therefore, is important to prevent economic loss. On the other hand, use of synthetic antioxidants has been banned in some countries. Therefore, the article is deals with the use of lyophilized Urtica dioica water extract as a functional ingredient in meatballs.