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Review
. 2019 Nov 15;24(22):4132.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24224132.

Antioxidants of Natural Plant Origins: From Sources to Food Industry Applications

Sofia C Lourenço  1 , Margarida Moldão-Martins  1 , Vítor D Alves  1
Affiliations
Review

Antioxidants of Natural Plant Origins: From Sources to Food Industry Applications

Sofia C Lourenço et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

In recent years, great interest has been focused on using natural antioxidants in food products, due to studies indicating possible adverse effects that may be related to the consumption of synthetic antioxidants. A variety of plant materials are known to be natural sources of antioxidants, such as herbs, spices, seeds, fruits and vegetables. The interest in these natural components is not only due to their biological value, but also to their economic impact, as most of them may be extracted from food by-products and under-exploited plant species. This article provides an overview of current knowledge on natural antioxidants: their sources, extraction methods and stabilization processes. In addition, recent studies on their applications in the food industry are also addressed; namely, as preservatives in different food products and in active films for packaging purposes and edible coatings.

Keywords: extraction methods; food products; natural antioxidants; stabilization techniques.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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