Plants-Derived Bioactive Compounds as Food Preservative

Background and Aim : Microbial contamination is one of the major causes of food spoilage during prolong storage. According to World Health Organization nearly ۲ billion people are suffering from illnesses due to food borne microbes annually. The search of new safe substances for food preservation is being performed around the world. The excessive use of synthetic preservatives, some of which are suspected because of their toxicity, increased pressure on food manufacturers to either completely remove these agents or to adopt natural alternatives for the maintenance or extension of a product’s shelf life.Methods : Natural bioactive compounds include a broad diversity of structures and functionalities that provide an excellent pool of molecules for the production of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and food additives. Natural Bioactive Compounds (NBCs) have been studied directly in their different natural matrices such as tea, olive oil, exotic fruits, plants, algae, microalgae, bacteria, and fungi. NBCs produced by microorganism can be incorporated into foods as nutritional supplements, flavor enhancers, texturizers, preservatives, emulsifiers, acidulants, surfactants, or thickeners. It has been reported that algae are a very interesting natural source of new compounds and many of them possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities.Results : Many plant occurring bioactive compounds can be considered as good alternatives to synthetic antimicrobial and antioxidant food additives. The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of bioactive compounds are mainly due to their redox properties, ability to chelate metals, and quenching reactive species of singlet oxygen. Medicinal plant parts (roots, leaves, branches/stems, barks, flowers, and fruits) are commonly rich in terpenes (carvacrol, citral, linalool, and geraniol) and phenolics (flavonoids and phenolic acids), and these compounds have been effective as food additives.Conclusion : The aim of this article is understanding the role of plants-derived bioactive compounds in food preservation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Bioactive compounds ، antimicrobial properties ، antioxidant properties ، food preservative