ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF PROPOLIS, THYME ESSENTIAL OIL AND HYDROSOL ON NATURAL MYCOBIOTA OF SUCUK, A TURKISH FERMENTED SAUSAGE: MONITORING OF THEIR EFFECTS ON MICROBIOLOGICAL, COLOR AND AROMA PROPERTIES

The current study aimed at evaluating the antifungal activity of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) essential oil (EO) and its hydrosol and propolis extract (PE) against natural mycobiota on the surface of sucuk. Yeast-mold (YM) counts of sucuk samples treated with hydrosol and control were above 7.0 log cfu/g. However, they were 2.59, 5.02 and 5.41 log cfu/g in samples treated with potassium sorbate (PS), EO and PE, respectively. PS, EO and PE provided reductions of 4.88, 2.45 and 2.05 log cfu/g in YM counts compared with control treatment, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria and aerobic mesophilic bacteria results of the sucuks treated with the extracts were similar in the end of ripening period. Surface treatments did not adversely affect the color of sucuks. A total of 77 volatile compounds were isolated and identified in the sucuks. The major group of volatile compounds found in the sucuk samples was terpenes.