Plant Polyphenols as Antioxidant and Antibacterial Agents for Shelf‐Life Extension of Meat and Meat Products: Classification, Structures, Sources, and Action Mechanisms

Abstract

Oxidative processes and meat spoilage bacteria are major contributors to decreasing the shelf-life of meat and meat products. Oxidative processes occur during processing, storage, and light exposure, lowering the nutritional and sensory value and acceptability of meat and generating toxic compounds for humans. Polyphenols inhibit oxidative processes in 3 ways: as reactive species scavengers, lipoxygenase inhibitors, and reducing agents for metmyoglobin. Thus, polyphenols are candidate antioxidants for meat and meat products. The cross-contamination of meat with spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms can occur in production lines and result in economic losses. The ability of polyphenols to interact with bacterial cell wall components and the bacterial cell membrane can prevent and control biofilm formation, as well as inhibit microbial enzymes, interfere in protein regulation, and deprive bacterial cell enzymes of substrates and metal ions. Thus, polyphenols are candidate antimicrobial agents for use with meat and meat products. Commercially available polyphenols can decrease primary and secondary lipid peroxidation levels, inhibit lipoxygenase activity, improve meat color stability, minimize the degradation of salt-soluble myofibrillar protein and sulfhydryl groups, and retard bacterial growth. Further studies are now needed to clarify the synergistic/antagonistic action of various polyphenols, and to identify the best polyphenol classes, concentrations, and conditions of use.

Histochemistry, phenolic content, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic activities ofVernonia amygdalinaleaf extract

“…These activities can be attributed to the total phenol, quercetin, and (-)epi-catechin contents of the infusion (Figure 2), as well as the other identified phytochemicals distributed in the leaf, particularly the phenolic distribution on the epidermis and mid rib ( Figure 1). Polyphenols are the most studied plant antioxidant phytochemicals and have been shown to exhibit their antioxidant activities by reducing free radicals via donation of H-atom from their OH group/s (Papuc, Goran, Predescu, Nicorescu, & Stefan, 2017). (-) epi-catechin has been recognized as the most common flavonoids of green teas (Forester & Lambert, 2011;Kim, Quon, & Kim, 2014).…”

Plant Phenolics and Phenolic-Enriched Extracts as Antimicrobial Agents against Food-Contaminating Microorganisms

“…Due to the growing knowledge on their bioactive values, use of plant phenolics as natural additives has recently gained interest in the food industry. Several studies demonstrated the potential of these antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds as food preservatives as well as functional food ingredients [9][10][11]. In this respect, phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins have gained special attention over the last decades [2,12].…”

Potential application of Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis extract on fresh beef meat during refrigeration storage

“…Plant foods are a rich source of bioactive compounds known as phytochemicals which possess a variety of biological activities (antibacterial and antioxidant activities) and impart health benefits beyond basic nutrition (Sreeramulu & Raghunath, ). Among the wide range of phytochemicals, phenolic and flavonoid compounds have attained the substantial attention in different areas of application such as food, health, and pharmaceutical industries in the recent years (Papuc, Goran, Predescu, Nicorescu, & Stefan, ; Sivarajan et al, ).…”