en تخصصي Special Original article Original article <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Background:</strong> Mahyaveh is an Iranian salted-fermented fish sauce which due to its high amount of protein has risk of histamine production. This study was carried out to determine effect of <em>Zataria multiflora</em> Essential Oil (EO) on histamine production in mahyaveh.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Methods:</strong> Dried anchovies (<em>Stolephorus </em>sp.), refined-salt and mustard seed (<em>Brassica juncea</em>) were purchased from the local market in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Three concentrations of EO including 0.1, 1, and 2% v/w were prepared by hydro-distillation of the air-dried powdered of <em>Z. multiflora</em> plant for 3 h, using British-type Clevenger apparatus. Histamine was determined by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Mean values of histamine were compared using SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL software (v. 16.0).</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Results</strong>: Most of the samples showed increasing in the level of histamine when storage time was increased. At day 30, histamine level in all treatment samples containing 0.1, 1, and 2% of <em>Z. multiflora</em> EO were significantly lower than control group (<em>p</em><0.05). However, in days 90 and 120, histamine level in all treatment groups had no significant difference (<em>p</em>>0.05) with control ones except 0.1% EO group. Analysis of four sensory items including color, odor, taste, and overall acceptance indicated that there was no significant difference between mean score of control and treatment groups. Overall acceptance scores in 0, 0.1, 1, and 2% EO were 6.33, 5, 6.33, and 5, respectively.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong><em> Z. multiflora</em> EO could effectively serve as potential antimicrobial agent to inhibit histamine production in mahyaveh.</span></p> Fish Products, Fermentation, Histamine, Plants, Oils Volatile 48 52 http://jfqhc.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-235-12&slc_lang=en&sid=1 A. Saffari No Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran B. Hajimohammadi No Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran E. Eftekhar eftekhar19@gmail.com Yes Food and Cosmetic Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran M.H. Ehrampoush No Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran S.S. Athari No Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran A. Rahimzade No Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran S. Nosrati No Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran P. Arshiyan No Language Department, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran D. Ben Ammar No Biochemistry-Toxicology Laboratory, University Hospital of Monastir, Tunisia