Abstract

The use of aromatic plants as antioxidants helps minimize oxidative rancidity, thereby extending the shelf life and preserving the nutritional quality of foodstuffs, including meat. The antioxidant effect of Nigella sativa L. (commonly known as black seed) oil (NO) on raw camel meat during cold storage was evaluated in this study. Muscle samples (Longissimus dorsi) were collected from 7 male camels (Camelus dromedarius), and the effects of NO on lipid and protein oxidation, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes, were examined at increasing doses of NO (0.5, 1, and 2 mL/100g of meat). Control and treated meat samples were placed in polythene bags and stored in a refrigerator at 4 ± 0.5°C for 0, 1, 3, 6, and 10 days. Various parameters were analyzed at different stages of cold storage, including peroxide value (PV), malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl and sulfhydryl contents, and the enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). In the treated samples (1 mL NO/100g or 2 mL NO/100g), PV, MDA, and carbonyl levels were significantly (P < 0.05) lower, while the activities of CAT, GSHPx, and SOD were significantly (P < 0.05) higher compared to the control samples. Additionally, the effect of NO on these parameters was dose-dependent, with higher doses leading to greater reductions in PV, MDA, and carbonyls, and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GSHPx, and SOD).

Key words: Black seed oil, camel meat, cold storage, cooking, Morocco, oxidative stress.