1. Introduction
The shelf life of aerobically packed fresh meat is very short due to
spoilage by faster microbial growth and oxidative stress onmeat. Higher
protein andmoisture level supports microbial spoilage ofmeat,whereas
the presence of air induces oxidation of lipid as well as protein.
Preventing microbial growth and retarding lipid and protein oxidation
during storage and retail display is essential to maintain the quality and
safety of meat. Synthetic preservatives are being currently used to
curtail the microbial growth and thereby extending the shelf life of
meat. Synthetic preservatives used in extending shelf life of meat are
less preferred over bio-preservatives by the consumers. Bio-preservatives
are mainly derived from plant extracts. Majority of the plant
extracts contain phenolic compounds as secondary metabolites.
Biological significance of these compounds is immense due to enormous
reducing power of free hydroxyl groups (antioxidant property) and
protein binding capacity (causes inhibition of microbial growth–
antimicrobial property). Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an important
source of bioactive compounds and has been used in folk medicine
for many centuries. In India, pomegranate arils are used as such or are
made into juice. Pomegranate juice has been demonstrated to be high in
antioxidant activity and is effective in prevention of atherosclerosis,
low-density lipoprotein oxidation, prostate cancer, platelet aggregation
and various cardiovascular diseases (Adhami & Mukhtar, 2006).While
substantial data exist in favor of the use of polyphenols from green tea,