Extension of Sous Vide Preservation of Wild Turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo L.) Meat With Rosmarinus officinalis Essential Oil: A Study on Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Effectiveness Against Listeria monocytogenes and Other Population of Isolated Microbiota

In our study, we focused on the chemical composition of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil (ROEO), its antimicrobial effects. Drawing from existing research, we further investigated the antimicrobial properties of ROEO under in vivo conditions. Specifically, we examined its effects on sous vide meat from wild turkeys and its activity against Listeria monocytogenes. The dominant compound identified in ROEO was 1,8-cineole, which made up 48.5% of the oil. During our experiments, we assessed the total viable count, coliform numbers, and the presence of L. monocytogenes on sous vide wild turkey meat. Furthermore, we analysed the abundance of various bacterial species in each of the tested groups. Our findings suggest that the ROEO-treated groups exhibited a lower microbial load compared to the control groups or those treated solely with pathogenic microorganisms. Our microbial counts revealed that heat treatment had a noticeable effect on the microbial populations. ROEO demonstrated significant antimicrobial properties, as our results indicated its positive impact across all experimental groups. Additionally, mass spectrometry results highlighted differences in the microbiota composition following the application of ROEO and the inoculation of L. monocytogenes. The primary bacterial species isolated from the sous vide wild turkey meat were Citrobacter freundii and Pantoea agglomerans.