Abstract
Plants are rich in bioactive compounds (BACs), mainly polyphenols, which are valuable choices to replace synthetic antioxidants in meat products. These natural antioxidants from plants, in the form of extracts and essential oils (EOs), have been obtained from different sources such as fruits (dragon fruit, guarana, pomegranate), vegetables, (cabbage, onion), herbs, and spices (epazote, ginger, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric, winter savory) by several extraction processes. However, in the context of current directives there is a notable incentive for “green” solvents to replace organic ones and conventional techniques, in order to avoid harm to the environment, operator, and consumer health. In addition, the recycling of co-products from the processing of these plant materials allow us to obtain valuable BACs from under-exploited materials, contributing to the revalorization of these wastes. The resulting extracts allow us to maintain the quality of meat products, exhibiting similar or better antioxidant properties compared to those shown by synthetic ones. Their incorporation in fresh meat products would maintain the oxidative stability, stabilizing colour parameters, decreasing the formation of metmyoglobin, lipid, and protein oxidation and the generation of lipid-derived volatile compounds, without affecting sensory attributes. In addition, these novel ingredients contribute to improve both technological and functional characteristics, thus diversifying the offer of so-called “wellness foods”. In this review, the application of plant extracts as natural antioxidants in several fresh meat products is presented, showing their efficacy as scavenging radicals and imparting additional health benefits.
Highlights
Meat and meat products are an excellent source of essential nutrients with highquality proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and pigments, and depending on the muscle type, contain variable quantities and proportions of storage and structural lipids [1,2,3,4,5]
The present review aims to present a comprehensive literature review on the use of natural antioxidants extracted by eco-innovative technologies in fresh meat products, evaluating the oxidative processes that occur in these foods
These meat products, not subjected to heat treatments, allow us to observe the behaviour of natural antioxidants more clearly during the shelf life of the product, avoiding the effect that temperature could have on antioxidant properties, since many bioactive compounds (BACs) present in the composition of plant extracts are thermolabile
Summary
Meat and meat products are an excellent source of essential nutrients with highquality proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and pigments, and depending on the muscle type, contain variable quantities and proportions of storage (triacylglycerols) and structural lipids (phospholipids) [1,2,3,4,5]. The use of natural antioxidants in meat products seems a good option to reduce the consumption of synthetic additives [10,11,20,21] In this regard, several plant extracts and essential oils (EOs) from diverse sources, such as aromatic plants, fruits, leaves, seeds, and spices, can be used as natural antioxidants in meat products, as they can retard or inhibit lipid and protein oxidation by preventing oxidative chain reactions and can extend the shelf life of these products [11,22,23,24,25]. The present review aims to present a comprehensive literature review on the use of natural antioxidants extracted by eco-innovative technologies in fresh meat products, evaluating the oxidative processes that occur in these foods Their evaluation will allow us to know the real behaviour of these compounds, avoiding the interferences caused by cooking, which leads to an intense pro-oxidant environment in which both lipids and proteins can be affected
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
