Bukvicki Danka, D'Alessandro Margherita, Rossi Samantha, Siroli Lorenzo, Gottardi Davide, Braschi Giacomo, Patrignani Francesca, Lanciotti Rosalba
Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden 'Jevremovac', University of Belgrade, Takovska 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Foods. 2023 Sep 1;12(17):3288. doi: 10.3390/foods12173288.
The use of plant extracts (e.g., essential oils and their active compounds) represents an interesting alternative to chemical additives and preservatives applied to delay the alteration and oxidation of foods during their storage. Essential oils (EO) are nowadays considered valuable sources of food preservatives as they provide a healthier alternative to synthetic chemicals while serving the same purpose without affecting food quality parameters. The natural antimicrobial molecules found in medicinal plants represent a possible solution against drug-resistant bacteria, which represent a global health problem, especially for foodborne infections. Several solutions related to their application on food have been described, such as incorporation in active packaging or edible film and direct encapsulation. However, the use of bioactive concentrations of plant derivatives may negatively impact the sensorial characteristics of the final product, and to solve this problem, their application has been proposed in combination with other hurdles, including biocontrol agents. Biocontrol agents are microbial cultures capable of producing natural antimicrobials, including bacteriocins, organic acids, volatile organic compounds, and hydrolytic enzymes. The major effect of bacteriocins or bacteriocin-producing LAB (lactic acid bacteria) on food is obtained when their use is combined with other preservation methods. The combined use of EOs and biocontrol agents in fruit and vegetables, meat, and dairy products is becoming more and more important due to growing concerns about potentially dangerous and toxic synthetic additives. The combination of these two hurdles can improve the safety and shelf life (inactivation of spoilage or pathogenic microorganisms) of the final products while maintaining or stabilizing their sensory and nutritional quality. This review critically describes and collects the most updated works regarding the application of EOs in different food sectors and their combination with biocontrol agents and bacteriocins.
使用植物提取物（如香精油及其活性成分）是一种有趣的替代方法，可替代用于延缓食品在储存过程中变质和氧化的化学添加剂和防腐剂。如今，香精油被认为是食品防腐剂的宝贵来源，因为它们为合成化学品提供了更健康的替代品，同时在不影响食品质量参数的情况下达到相同目的。药用植物中发现的天然抗菌分子是对抗耐药细菌的一种可能解决方案，耐药细菌是一个全球健康问题，尤其是对于食源性感染。已经描述了几种与其在食品上的应用相关的解决方案，例如掺入活性包装或可食用薄膜以及直接包封。然而，使用生物活性浓度的植物衍生物可能会对最终产品的感官特性产生负面影响，为了解决这个问题，已提议将其与其他障碍因素（包括生物防治剂）联合应用。生物防治剂是能够产生天然抗菌物质的微生物培养物，包括细菌素、有机酸、挥发性有机化合物和水解酶。当细菌素或产生细菌素的乳酸菌与其他保鲜方法联合使用时，它们对食品的主要作用才能得以发挥。由于对潜在危险和有毒合成添加剂的担忧日益增加，香精油和生物防治剂在水果和蔬菜、肉类及乳制品中的联合使用变得越来越重要。这两种障碍因素的组合可以提高最终产品的安全性和保质期（使腐败或致病微生物失活），同时保持或稳定其感官和营养品质。本综述批判性地描述并收集了关于香精油在不同食品领域的应用及其与生物防治剂和细菌素联合使用的最新研究成果。
