Plant-Based Phenolic Molecules as Natural Preservatives in Comminuted Meats: A Review.

Michael E. Netzel,Heather Smyth,Yasmina Sultanbawa,Michel M. Beya,Louwrens C. Hoffman

doi:10.3390/antiox10020263

Abstract

Comminuted meat products are highly susceptible to safety and quality degradation partly because of their large interfacial area in the emulsion. The food industry extensively uses synthetic chemical preservatives to delay that degradation which is caused by microbial growth, enzyme activities and oxidation reactions. However, due to the potential health damage (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers among others) synthetic preservatives in meat may cause, consumers are becoming skeptical to buy meat products containing such additives. In the meat industry, the interest of finding natural food preservatives is intensifying. Polyphenolic-rich plants used as natural food preservatives offer the best alternative for a partial or a complete replacement of their synthetic counterparts. They can be extracted from natural sources such as olives, fruits, grapes, vegetables, spices, herbs, and algae, and among others. The common feature of these phenolic compounds is that they have one or more aromatic rings with one or more -OH group which are essential for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. This review article is intended to provide an overview of the plant-based phenolic molecules used as natural food preservative, their antimicrobial and antioxidant mechanism of action, and their potential application in comminuted meat.

Highlights

Published: 9 February 2021A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [1] predicted that the degradation of the world ecosystem in addition to the projected global population growth will challenge humanity‘s ability to feed itself
chestnut inner shell extracts (CISE) inhibited the growth of C. jejuni in chicken meat both at 4 ◦ C and 42 ◦ C—the authors recommended that this plant extract can be used as a natural antimicrobial in meat and meat products
Microbial spoilage and oxidative reactions are the major problems that decrease the shelf-life of meat and meat products

Summary

Introduction

A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [1] predicted that the degradation of the world ecosystem in addition to the projected global population growth will challenge humanity‘s ability to feed itself. Several bioactive compounds naturally occurring in plants have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and may play crucial roles in the preservation of comminuted meat products. Numerous studies on plant polyphenols, as natural preservatives in comminuted meat, has been reported. Polyphenols are recognized for their powerful antimicrobial and antioxidant properties Their bioactivity is based on their capability to: scavenge free radicals and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/N), reduce oxidized intermediates, induce metal chelation, and inhibit enzymes responsible for the formation of free radicals [20]. Reflecting on the significant number of recently published journal articles focusing on the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of polyphenols as natural preservatives in comminuted meat, the aim of this review is to highlight and summarize the relevant findings of selected plants. Challenges in the in-situ applications of plant derived bioactive compounds and government regulations will be highlighted

Plant-Based Bioactive Molecules for Food Preservation

Extraction of Plant Bioactive Compounds for Food Application

Antioxidant Mechanism of Action

Antimicrobial Mechanism of Action for Preservation in Food Systems

Application of Polyphenolic-Rich Plants in Meat System

Plant-Based Antioxidants Applied for Preservation in Meat Systems

Plant-Based Antimicrobial Applied for Preservation in Meat Systems

Acacia nilotica Extract

Limitations of Natural Preservatives when Applied in Food Systems

Regulations of Natural Food Preservatives

Findings

Conclusions