Hoda Motamednejad - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza,Iran
Ali Sharifzadeh - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

Background: Natural antimicrobials with plant origin are incorporated to foods in the forms ofessential oils or extracts. They can control spoilage bacteria in foodstuffs (e.g. meat products).Objective: This work was aimed to evaluate the effect of nitrite partial replacement with Urtica dioicaessential oil (UDEO) on microbial properties of cooked sausage.Methods: Nitrite content(120 ppm) was reduced and replaced with 20, 40 and 60,80,100 and 120 ppmof UDEO. The effect of UDEO on antimicrobial properties of the essential oil were evaluated by MICsand MBCs determination against Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens by microdilutionmethod. Result: Results indicated that sample ofwith 20 ppm of nitrite and 100 ppm UDEO were not significantly samples with control, at the end ofstorage period. Antimicrobial activity of UDEO against Escherichia coli and Clostridium determinedas MICs were 0.150 mg/ml and 0.274 mg/ml , respectively.Conclusion: all samples with different essential oil levels were acceptable after 60 days of storage.Replacement of 80 % of nitrite with UDEO is a reasonable approach in order to put down harmfuleffects of nitrite in sausage and to enhance functionality of the product

Cooked sausage, Urtica dioica, Essential oil, Nitrite