Aravind Shambu, Sophia Inbaraj, Manasa Reddy Basireddy, Beena Cherian, Kalpana Starling
The research investigates the potential of cell-free supernatant (CFS) derived from Lactobacillus cultures as a natural biopreservative for buffalo meat. The study aimed at large-scale production of CFS from the bacterial strains such as Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 9496, Lactobacillus rhamnosus MTCC 12920 and Levilactobacillus brevis MTCC 13243 and assessment of its preservative effectiveness by analyzing parameters such as pH, color, total plate count (TPC), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The results indicated that both the treatment groups and storage duration had a significant impact on these quality metrics. The b* values (colour parameters) associated with lipid oxidation have been significantly (p ≤ 0.001) affected by treatments. The pH of carabeef of treatment (groups 2 and 3) was maintained as 5.5-5.6 throughout 6 days and had significant group (p ≤ 0.001) interactions. The TPC values of group 2 and 3 were significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.001) on day 2 (46; 56 ×102CFU/g)) and day 6 (138; 123 ×102 CFU/g), respectively, thus, proving the antimicrobial action of CFS. The findings demonstrate that Lactobacillus-derived CFS is effective in controlling spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, offering a promising, natural alternative to synthetic preservatives for extending the shelf life of buffalo meat.