Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as Natural Antimicrobial Preservative for Beef: Characterization, Formulation, Efficacy and Application

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Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as Natural Antimicrobial Preservative for Beef: Characterization, Formulation, Efficacy and Application

Author Information
1
Department of Chemistry, University of Uyo, Uyo 520261, Nigeria
2
Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Santa Catarina, Brazil
3
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Uyo, Uyo 520261, Nigeria
4
Department of Microbiology, University of Uyo, Uyo 520261, Nigeria
5
Department of Biology, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt 500102, Nigeria
6
Department of Chemistry, University of Abuja, Abuja 902101, Nigeria
7
Department of Food Science and Technology, Ebonyi State University, Abakiliki 480212, Nigeria
8
Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, William V.S. Tubman University, Harper 3570, Liberia
9
School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 01 July 2025 Accepted: 08 September 2025 Published: 26 September 2025

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© 2025 The authors. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Food Res. Suppl. 2025, 1(1), 10003; DOI: 10.70322/frs.2025.10003
ABSTRACT: Food spoilage caused by microbial contamination has remained a major challenge in meat preservation, especially in regions with limited refrigeration infrastructure. The potential of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as a natural antimicrobial preservative for beef, which is culturally significant and a highly consumed meat product worldwide, was investigated. The CNSL was extracted using ethanol and characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Results revealed a high abundance of phenolic lipids, cresols, cardanol and resorcinol derivatives, with active O-H and C-O functional groups. The antimicrobial efficacy against Pseudomonas, Clostridium spp. and Proteus spp., which are major bacteria implicated in meat spoilage, was assayed by applying different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0%) of CNSL to the meat samples and evaluating microbial loads over a 14-day storage period. Results indicate a significant reduction in total viable counts and pathogenic bacteria, with optimal preservation observed at 2.0% CNSL. The study demonstrates that CNSL exhibits potential to act as an effective natural preservative and sets the foundation for its application in sustainable meat preservation strategies.
Keywords: Beef; Cashew nut shell liquid; Food preservative; FTIR; GC-MS

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