STUDY ON THE ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF SALVIA LERIIFOLIA (NOWROOZAK) LEAF EXTRACT POWDER ON THE GROWTH OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN HAMBURGER

In this research, antimicrobial activity of Salvia leriifolia leaf extract was investigated on Staphylococcus aureus growth with different concentrations (5,000, 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 mg/L) in hamburger. Purified S. aureus was inoculated to hamburger and then stored at -12C. Samples were subjected to microbiological analyses (total viable count and numbers of S. aureus) at different time intervals (15, 30 and 45 days). Results showed that total viable count and the number of S. aureus in all samples with different concentrations of extract declined during storage. This effect was significant at day 15 and 30 for S. aureus and total viable count, respectively. The highest concentration of S. leriifolia extract caused maximum reduction in S. aureus population and total viable count. These data indicated that S. leriifolia extract can exhibit antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, so it can be considered as an alternative natural preservative in such food products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS As Salvia leriifolia has natural antimicrobial properties and is growing in many regions in Iran increasingly, thus, the extract of some parts of this plant is applicable in food products. On the other hand, the importance of Staphylococcus aureus in meat products as hamburger has been proven previously due to manual handling or post-processing contamination. With regard to the above mentioned, usage of S. leriifolia is considered essential in meat products as a natural antimicrobial agent to prevent food poisoning and spoilage. Perhaps, S. leriifolia extract has a strong antimicrobial influence against many known pathogens in food products, but it needs to be performed in researches about the effect of this extract on sensory properties and total acceptance in near future.