Natural protective agents and their applications as bio-preservatives in the food industry

Abstract

Today, the usage of natural additives in the food matrix has increased. Natural antimicrobial compounds include peptides, enzymes, bacteriocins, bacteriophages, plant extracts, essential oils, and fermented compounds that can be used as alternatives to chemical antimicrobials. Plant extracts and essential oils contain terpenes, flavonoids, aldehydes, and phenolic compounds that cause antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The synergistic activity of compounds synthesized from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi. In addition to removing mycotoxins, LAB compounds have antioxidant and anticancer potentials and increase food safety and nutritional value. One of these antimicrobial molecules is bacteriocin, which is made by various microorganisms. Nisin is one of these bioactive peptides that are used widely in food bio-preservation. Antimicrobial peptides can be used alone or along with other compounds to enhance food security. This article reviews natural preservatives and their applications in food products.

Microencapsulation of Bacteriophages for the Delivery to and Modulation of the Human Gut Microbiota through Milk and Cereal Products

“…In vivo bacteriophage therapy studies of the last decade with humans and animals were summarized in review articles by Malik et al, and Melo et al [21,22]. Furthermore, bacteriophages are also used in food companies as biosanitizers, biocontrol for pathogenic bacteria, and biopreservatives in the production of meat, vegetables, and fruits [23][24][25][26]. Formulations containing bacteriophages have a 'generally recognized as safe' status (GRAS status) from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and are used legally in the USA, Canada, Australia, and in some parts of Europe [25,[27][28][29].…”

Ozone in wineries and wine processing: A review of the benefits, application, and perspectives

“…The public's awareness of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and the occurrence of pesticide poisoning cases have recently grown, which necessitates the employment of efficient and safe procedures for removing their residue. Hence, aqueous ozone has been suggested as a novel phytosanitary treatment to control pests in vineyards and grapevine diseases as a viable replacement to traditional pesticides due to its low toxicity to humans and the environmental benefits (Amiri et al., 2021; Shezi et al., 2020; Swami et al., 2021). There are two main, direct (by oxygen atoms) and indirect (by hydroxyl radicals) mechanisms for the ozone oxidation of target organics, both driven by the self‐decomposition of ozone molecules.…”

Recent advances in plant‐based compounds for mitigation of mycotoxin contamination in food products: current status, challenges and perspectives

“…Although synthetic preservatives control mycotoxins in food products, their constant use in the food industry is not preferred by consumers and food manufacturers because they are non‐biodegradable and present severe environmental, human and animal health concerns (Fakhri et al ., 2021). Hence, researchers have proposed safe and naturally preserved alternative methods for controlling contamination particularly mycotoxins in food products during storage (Santos et al ., 2019; Coppa et al ., 2020; Amiri et al ., 2021).…”