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Review
. 2023 Sep 5;11(9):2234.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11092234.

Novel Perspectives on Food-Based Natural Antimicrobials: A Review of Recent Findings Published since 2020

Taner Sar  1 , Pelin Kiraz  2 , Vjola Braho  1 , Sharareh Harirchi  1 , Meltem Yesilcimen Akbas  2
Affiliations
Review

Novel Perspectives on Food-Based Natural Antimicrobials: A Review of Recent Findings Published since 2020

Taner Sar et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

Various fruit and vegetable wastes, particularly peels, seeds, pulp, and unprocessed residues from the food industry, are abundant sources of antioxidants and essential antimicrobial agents. These valuable bioactive compounds recovered from the food industry have a great application in food, agriculture, medicine, and pharmacology. Food-derived natural antimicrobials offer advantages such as diminishing microbial loads and prolonging the shelf life of food products particularly prone to microbial spoilage. They not only enrich the foods with antioxidants but also help prevent microbial contamination, thereby prolonging their shelf life. Similarly, incorporating these natural antimicrobials into food packaging products extends the shelf life of meat products. Moreover, in agricultural practices, these natural antimicrobials act as eco-friendly pesticides, eliminating phytopathogenic microbes responsible for causing plant diseases. In medicine and pharmacology, they are being explored as potential therapeutic agents. This review article is based on current studies conducted in the last four years, evaluating the effectiveness of food-based natural antimicrobials in food, agriculture, medicine, and pharmacology.

Keywords: antibacterial activities; biotechnology; essential oils; extracts; food control; herbs; pathogens.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Document numbers on natural antimicrobials indexed in Scopus since 1990.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The bibliometric map of natural antimicrobials since 2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The applications of food-based natural products in the food industry.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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