The results of TBARS analyses of chicken samples during refrigerated storage are presented in Table 2. Different treated samples (PJ, PJ–CH, PJ–CH–Z 1% and PJ–CH–Z 2%) significantly (P b 0.05) reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) values, as compared to the control (C) ones. In general, lipid oxidation of control and treated chicken samples was low and below 0.5 mg MDA/kg showing no oxidative rancidity during the storage period. In control and all of the treatments an increasing
trend in TBARS values was observed until day 5 and 15, respectively that followed by a decrease until day 20 of storage. This patternwas similar to that reported in chicken breast meat which might be attributed to initial formation of MDA and its possible decomposition during the later stages of storage. However, PJ in all of treatments decreased lipidoxidation significantly (P b 0.05) as compared to the control. The large amount of phenolics contained in PJ may cause its strong antioxidant ability. Our results were in agreement with previous studies . Chitosan enriched with ZEO (1 and 2%) significantly (P b 0.05) increased antioxidant activity of PJ against lipid oxidation. This increase was probably due to protecting effect of chitosan on numerous degradative reactions of total phenolic content of PJ during storage