investigating the impact of supplementing drinking water with olive leaf extract on microbial load and oxidative stability of breast meat in broilers

Deterioration of fresh meat quality is primarily attributed to microbial contamination and oxidative processes. recently, plant-based natural preservatives, such as olive leaf extract (ole), have gained considerable attention due to their antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which improve meat hygiene and prolong shelf life. this study evaluated the impact of supplementing broiler drinking water with ethanolic ole on the oxidative stability and microbial load of breast meat in broilers. a completely randomized design was employed, comprising four treatment groups with four replicates of 20 birds each. treatments included a control group (no ole) and drinking water supplemented with 0.4%, 0.6%, or 0.8% ethanolic ole for 42 days. after slaughter, breast meat samples were stored at 4°c for 12 days, during which lipid oxidation and bacterial counts were assessed every two days. lipid oxidation was measured by determining malondialdehyde concentrations. results showed that all ole levels significantly reduced the enterobacter counts up to day 12 compared to the control. the 0.6% ole group exhibited the most pronounced antibacterial effect, reducing counts of enterobacter, psychrotrophic bacteria, lactobacillus, and total bacteria throughout the storage period. additionally, malondialdehyde levels were consistently lower in all extract-treated samples, underscoring the antioxidant efficacy of ole. in conclusion, supplementing broiler drinking water with ole is an effective strategy to reduce bacterial contamination and enhance the oxidative stability of refrigerated breast meat, presenting a promising approach for improving poultry meat quality using plant-derived bioactive compounds.