Abstract
The production of safe and healthy foodstuffs is considered as one of the most important challenges in the food industry, and achieving this important goal is impossible without using various processes and preservatives. However, recently, there has been a growing concern about the use of chemical preservatives and attention has been focused on minimal process and/or free of chemical preservatives in food products. Therefore, researchers and food manufacturers have been induced to utilize natural-based preservatives such as antimicrobial enzymes in their production. Lactoperoxidase, as an example of antimicrobial enzymes, is the second most abundant natural enzyme in the milk and due to its wide range of antibacterial activities, it could be potentially applied as a natural preservative in various food products. On the other hand, due to the diffusion of lactoperoxidase into the whole food matrix and its interaction and/or neutralization with food components, the direct use of lactoperoxidase in food can sometimes be restricted. In this regard, lactoperoxidase can be used as a part of packaging material, especially edible and coating, to keep its antimicrobial properties to extend food shelf-life and food safety maintenance. Therefore, this study aims to review various antimicrobial enzymes and introduce lactoperoxidase as a natural antimicrobial enzyme, its antimicrobial properties, and its functionality in combination with an edible film to extend the shelf-life of food products.
Highlights
An antimicrobial activity of the lactoperoxidase system (LPOS) is supposed to arise from the oxidation of sulfhydryl (SH) groups present in microbial proteins and enzymes via these intermediate oxidizing products leading to a change in cellular functions, such as membrane integrity, passage systems, and metabolic enzymes and subsequent death of the cells [6, 15, 27, 41]
This study revealed that lactoperoxidase as a natural antimicrobial enzyme in the LPOS could be potentially applied as a replacement for chemical preservatives to improve the quality and shelf-life of food products
An antimicrobial activity of lactoperoxidase enzyme (LPO) is supposed to arise from the oxidation of SH groups present in microbial proteins and enzymes via these intermediate oxidizing products leading to a change in cellular functions, such as membrane integrity, passage systems, and metabolic enzymes and subsequent death of the cells
Summary
Food safety (the opposite of food risk) is defined as the absence of chemical, microbial, or physical hazards in consuming foods [1]. Researchers have focused on using antimicrobial agents as an efficient approach to decrease or postpone the growth and proliferation of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in different foodstuffs, in addition to preserve nutritional quality and increase the shelf-life of food products [2, 20– 22]. In this regard, organic acids, natural herbal extracts especially essential oils, bacteriocins like lacticin, nisin, and pediocin, and antimicrobial enzymes such as lysozyme, chitinase, glucose oxidase, and lactoperoxidase system (LPOS) have been considered as suitable natural antimicrobial compounds for the conservation of various foodstuffs [9, 23–25]. This study reviews the potential use of films and coatings as polymeric matrices for LPOS incorporation into food products to preserve food quality
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