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Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 78886

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Gema Nieto

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain
Interests: natural extracts; meat science; bakery science; dairy products; lipolysis and proteolysis; bioactive compounds; development of healthier food products; nutrients; food preservation; bioaccessibility; bioavailability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants will publish a Special Issue called “Natural, Plant-Derived Products as Preservatives”. Natural preservatives derived from plants may act as preservatives with different modes of action, such as inhibition of oxidation, microbial growth, and enzymatic reactions occurring in the foods. These natural preservatives have been gaining importance in recent years as they have few or no harmful effects. Currently, consumer concerns have increased in terms of demanding healthier foods free of synthetic additives, such as BHA, BHT, sulphites or nitrites, which are used as ingredients or additives in most of the animal products that are frequently consumed in the human diet. Taking into account these aspects, the food industries are focusing more on new research that tends to achieve the reduction and/or replacement of these synthetic preservatives through naturally plant-derived constituents such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, microbial metabolites, and antimicrobial constituents from essential oils, natural extracts, fruits, plants or spices that possess a preserving action, while also showing beneficiary effects to human health. This Special Issue shall detail natural compounds from plants to evaluate their efficacy in extending the shelf life and improving the microbial safety of food products.

This Special Issue of Plants will contribute to knowledge of plants from several aspects, such as:

Biactive compounds
Antioxidant activity
Antimicrobial activity
Preservatives properties
Medicinal plants as natural ingredients
Diversity of plant secondary metabolites
Natural extracts as preservatives in meat products, bakery products, milk products, beverages..etc.
In vitro and in vivo biological activity of plant secondary metabolites

Dr. Gema Nieto
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Polyphenols
Natural products
Biological effects
Antioxidant
Antimicrobial
Functional foods

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Gum Arabic and Methyl Cellulose Coatings Enriched with Thyme Oil to Maintain Quality and Extend Shelf Life of “Acco” Pomegranate Arils

by Tatenda Gift Kawhena, Alemayehu Ambaw Tsige, Umezuruike Linus Opara and Olaniyi Amos Fawole

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121690 - 01 Dec 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3308

Abstract

The effects of gum arabic (GA; 1.5% w/v) and methyl cellulose (MC; 1% w/v) enriched with thyme oil (TO; 0.25 and 0.5% v/v) on the quality of “Acco” pomegranate arils were studied. Coating treatments, namely, MC, MC + TO_0.5%, MC + TO_0.25%, GA, GA + TO_0.5% and GA + TO_0.25% were applied on arils by dipping, and evaluations were made on physicochemical and microbiological quality, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of arils stored (5 ± 1 °C, 95 ± 2% RH) for 16 days. Dipping arils in GA or MC, both containing TO (0.5% v/v) significantly (p < 0.0001) reduced weight loss and enhanced antioxidant activity (FRAP) (p = 0.0014). However, dipping arils in GA combined with TO (0.25% v/v) had the highest influence on reducing aril respiration rate compared with other treatments. Overall, results showed that application of coatings (GA + TO_0.5% and GA + TO_0.25%) reduced total yeast and mould and total plate counts and maintained quality up to 8 days of storage. These findings suggest that either GA + TO_0.5% or GA + TO_0.25% coatings have the capability to extend storage life of “Acco” pomegranate arils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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11 pages, 1075 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Generation Times of E. coli Prolong with Increasing Tannin Concentration while the Lag Phase Extends Exponentially

by Sara Štumpf, Gregor Hostnik, Mateja Primožič, Maja Leitgeb and Urban Bren

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1680; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121680 - 01 Dec 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 13818

Abstract

The current study examines the effect of tannins and tannin extracts on the lag phase duration, growth rate, and generation time of Escherichia coli. Effects of castalagin, vescalagin, gallic acid, Colistizer, tannic acid as well as chestnut, mimosa, and quebracho extracts were determined on E. coli’s growth phases using the broth microdilution method and obtained by turbidimetric measurements. E. coli responds to the stress caused by the investigated antimicrobial agents with reduced growth rates, longer generation times, and extended lag phases. Prolongation of the lag phase was relatively small at low tannin concentrations, while it became more pronounced at concentrations above half the MIC. Moreover, for the first time, it was observed that lag time extensions follow a strict exponential relationship with increasing tannin concentrations. This feature is very likely a direct consequence of the tannin complexation of certain essential ions from the growth medium, making them unavailable to E. coli for its growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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15 pages, 1869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solid-State Fermentation with Aspergillus niger GH1 to Enhance Polyphenolic Content and Antioxidative Activity of Castilla Rose (Purshia plicata)

by De León-Medina José Carlos, Sepúlveda Leonardo, Morlett-Chávez Jesús, Meléndez-Renteria Paola, Zugasti-Cruz Alejandro, Ascacio-Valdés Juan and Aguilar Cristóbal Noé

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1518; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111518 - 09 Nov 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3499

Abstract

This work was performed to study Castilla Rose (Purshia plicata) as a potential source of polyphenols obtained by solid-state fermentation (SSF)-assisted extraction using the microorganism Aspergillus niger GH1 and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extracted compounds. First, water absorption capacity (WAC) of the plant material, radial growth of the microorganism, determination of best fermentation conditions, and maximum accumulation time of polyphenols were tested. Then, a larger-scale fermentation, polyphenols isolation by column liquid chromatography (Amberlite XAD-16) and recovered compounds identification by HPLC-MS were made. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the recovered compounds was tested by ABTS, DPPH, and lipid oxidation inhibition assays. The best fermentation conditions were temperature 25 °C and inoculum 2 × 10⁶ spores/g, while the maximum extraction time of polyphenols was 24 h (173.95 mg/g). The HPLC/MS analysis allowed the identification of 25 different polyphenolic compounds, and the antioxidant activity of the obtained polyphenols was demonstrated, showing ABTS assay the most effective with inhibition of 94.34%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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Graphical abstract

18 pages, 1837 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Use of Bryophyllum as Natural Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant Activity to Prevent Lipid Oxidation of Fish Oil-In-Water Emulsions

by Pascual García-Pérez, Sonia Losada-Barreiro, Carlos Bravo-Díaz and Pedro P. Gallego

Plants 2020, 9(8), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9081012 - 11 Aug 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3498

Abstract

The current industrial requirements for food naturalness are forcing the development of new strategies to achieve the production of healthier foods by replacing the use of synthetic additives with bioactive compounds from natural sources. Here, we investigate the use of plant tissue culture as a biotechnological solution to produce plant-derived bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity and their application to protect fish oil-in-water emulsions against lipid peroxidation. The total phenolic content of Bryophyllum plant extracts ranges from 3.4 to 5.9 mM, expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). The addition of Bryophyllum extracts to 4:6 fish oil-in-water emulsions results in a sharp (eight-fold) increase in the antioxidant efficiency due to the incorporation of polyphenols to the interfacial region. In the emulsions, the antioxidant efficiency of extracts increased linearly with concentration and levelled off at 500 μM GAE, reaching a plateau region. The antioxidant efficiency increases modestly (12%) upon increasing the pH from 3.0 to 5.0, while an increase in temperature from 10 to 30 °C causes a six-fold decrease in the antioxidant efficiency. Overall, results show that Bryophyllum plant-derived extracts are promising sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity that can be eventually be used to control lipid oxidation in food emulsions containing (poly)unsaturated fatty acids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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5 pages, 761 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Anti-Inflamatory Activity of Neolignan Compound Isolated from the Roots of Saururus chinensis

by Sae-Rom Yoo, Hyekyung Ha, Hyeun-Kyoo Shin and Chang-Seob Seo

Plants 2020, 9(8), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9080932 - 23 Jul 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1721

Abstract

Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill. is a perennial herb and grows in Korea, China, and Japan. Interestingly, (7S,8S)-Δ^8′-3,4-methylenedioxy-3′,5,5′-trimethoxy-7-monoacetate-8.O.4′-neolignan (MTMN), one of the active neolignans, was first isolated from the roots of Saururus chinensis. The compound was screened for anti-inflammatory activity using a RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell line. The dried roots of S. chinensis (9.7 kg) were extracted with 70% methanol and then solvent fractionation. From the ethyl acetate fraction, MTMN was purified through silica gel column and reverse-phase column chromatography and its structure was identified by spectroscopic analysis with nuclear magnetic resonance, circular dichroism, and mass spectrometry. RAW264.7 cells were induced using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with or without MTMN. Production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) levels were measured and protein expressions of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were analyzed by immunoblotting. The isolated neolignan was (7S,8S)-Δ^8′-3,4-methylenedioxy-3′,5,5′-trimethoxy-7-monoacetate-8.O.4′-neolignan. This compound suppressed the LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions, which led to a decrease in the production of NO and PGE₂ levels. Further studies, including in animal models, will be required to establish the precise pharmacological effect of MTMN. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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Graphical abstract

19 pages, 3815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing a Clean Label Fish Patty with Olive, Citric, Pomegranate, or Rosemary Extracts

by Lorena Martínez-Zamora, Gaspar Ros and Gema Nieto

Plants 2020, 9(5), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9050659 - 22 May 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4142

Abstract

The natural functional ingredients derived from pomegranate (41.4% punicalagin), rosemary (5.8% carnosic acid and carnosol), hydroxytyrosol (7.3%), and citrus (55% hesperidin) fruits were combined separately with acerola (17% vitamin C) and essential oils rich in fatty acids (45% α-linolenic (ALA) and 40% docosahexaenoic (DHA)) provide a natural substitute of synthetic preservatives for fish patties, avoiding E-numbers on labels. Microbiological and physicochemical properties of the formulations were examined, sensory analysis was conducted, and changes in their shelf life due to storage for 14 days under chilled storage, adding these ingredients, were determined. The results obtained showed that the fish patties reported a high level of protein (14%), low fat (<2%), with a high contribution of phosphorus and selenium minerals, and higher levels of ALA up to 40% (in the case of rosemary extract (R)) and DHA by 30% (Ct), compared to the Control sample. The fish patties suffered microbiological, flavor, and odor spoilage and rapid lipid oxidation associated with rancidity. It can be said that the fish preparations have a duration of less than 7 days (between 4–6 days), except for the preparation with pomegranate extract (P) that has a longer life, from 7 to 11 days. Consequently, replacing synthetic additives by natural extracts offers a new clean label product with potential health benefits that resembles the commercial fish patties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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13 pages, 1549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Compounds from An Algerian Endemic Species of Hypochaeris laevigata var. hipponensis and Investigation of Antioxidant Activities

by Nabila Souilah, Zain Ullah, Hamdi Bendif, Kamel Medjroubi, Tahar Hazmoune, Tarek Hamel, Mehmet Öztürk, Gema Nieto and Salah Akkal

Plants 2020, 9(4), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040514 - 16 Apr 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3445

Abstract

Hypochaeris laevigata var. hipponensis (Asteraceae) is an endemic plant from Algeria. In the current study, we analyzed for the first time its chemical composition, especially phenolic constituents of dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), and n-butanol (BuOH) fractionsof the aerial parts of Hypochaeris laevigata var. hipponensis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The number of phenolic compounds detected in DCM, EA, and BuOH fractions were found to be 9, 20, and 15, respectively. More specifically, 12 phenolic acids were detected. Among them, quinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid were the most abundant ones. Meanwhile, only seven flavonoids were detected. Among them, rutin, apigetrin, and isoquercitrin were the major ones. We also determined the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and fraction EA showed the highest values, followed by BuOH, and DCM fractions. Furthermore, the antioxidant action was dictated by five methods and the tested plant fractions demonstrated a noteworthy antioxidant action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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Review

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17 pages, 1311 KiB

Open AccessReview

Health Benefits of Uses and Applications of Moringa oleifera in Bakery Products

by Paula García Milla, Rocío Peñalver and Gema Nieto

Plants 2021, 10(2), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020318 - 06 Feb 2021

Cited by 62 | Viewed by 16652

Abstract

Moringa oleifera belongs to the Moringaceae family and is the best known of the native Moringa oleifera genus. For centuries, it has been used as a system of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine and has a wide range of nutritional and bioactive compounds, including proteins, essential amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, fibre, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, phytosterols and others. These characteristics allow it to have pharmacological properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, cardioprotective, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective properties. The entire Moringa oleifera plant is edible, including its flowers, however, it is not entirely safe, because of compounds that have been found mainly in the root and bark, so the leaf was identified as the safest. Moringa oleifera is recognised as an excellent source of phytochemicals, with potential applications in functional and medicinal food preparations due to its nutritional and medicinal properties; many authors have experimented with incorporating it mainly in biscuits, cakes, brownies, meats, juices and sandwiches. The results are fascinating, as the products increase their nutritional value; however, the concentrations cannot be high, as this affects the organoleptic characteristics of the supplemented products. The aim of this study is to review the application of Moringa oleifera in bakery products, which will allow the creation of new products that improve their nutritional and functional value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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33 pages, 1393 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Vegetable Soups and Creams: Raw Materials, Processing, Health Benefits, and Innovation Trends

by Juana Fernández-López, Carmen Botella-Martínez, Casilda Navarro-Rodríguez de Vera, María Estrella Sayas-Barberá, Manuel Viuda-Martos, Elena Sánchez-Zapata and José Angel Pérez-Álvarez

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1769; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121769 - 14 Dec 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 13029

Abstract

Vegetable soups and creams have gained popularity among consumers worldwide due to the wide variety of raw materials (vegetable fruits, tubers, bulbs, leafy vegetables, and legumes) that can be used in their formulation which has been recognized as a healthy source of nutrients (mainly proteins, dietary fiber, other carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) and bioactive compounds that could help maintain the body’s health and wellbeing. In addition, they are cheap and easy to preserve and prepare at home, ready to eat, so in consequence they are very useful in the modern life rhythms that modify the habits of current consumption and that reclaim foods elaborated with natural ingredients, ecologic, vegans, less invasive production processes, agroindustry coproducts valorization, and exploring new flavors and textures. This review focuses on the nutritional and healthy properties of vegetable soups and creams (depending on the raw materials used in their production) highlighting their content in bioactive compounds and their antioxidant properties. Apart from the effect that some processing steps could have on these compounds, innovation trends for the development of healthier soups and creams adapted to specific consumer requirements have also been explored. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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21 pages, 977 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chia, Quinoa, and Their Coproducts as Potential Antioxidants for the Meat Industry

by Juana Fernández-López, Manuel Viuda-Martos, María Estrella Sayas-Barberá, Casilda Navarro-Rodríguez de Vera, Raquel Lucas-González, Alba Roldán-Verdú, Carmen Botella-Martínez and Jose Angel Pérez-Alvarez

Plants 2020, 9(10), 1359; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101359 - 14 Oct 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3762

Abstract

Chia and quinoa have gained popularity among consumers worldwide due to the wide variety of nutrients but also to the bioactive compounds that they contain. Lately, their processing has generated different coproducts (non-commercial grains, flour, partially deoiled flour, rich-fiber fraction, and oil, among others), which could be reincorporated to the food chain with important technological properties, antioxidant activity included. Both sets of ingredients have been revealed a great technological potential for meat product development and innovation, taking into account that oxidation is one of the main reactions responsible for their deterioration and shelf life reduction. This review focuses on the antioxidant compounds of chia and quinoa coproducts and on the strategies used to add them to meat products highlighting their effect on the lipid oxidation control. Apart from the different ways in which quinoa and chia can be incorporated into meat products and their antioxidant properties, innovative approaches for increasing this antioxidant effect and counteracting any negative alterations they may cause will be discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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29 pages, 1103 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

A Review on Applications and Uses of Thymus in the Food Industry

by Gema Nieto

Plants 2020, 9(8), 961; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9080961 - 30 Jul 2020

Cited by 110 | Viewed by 10625

Abstract

Thyme is one of the most important medicinal plants because of its ethnopharmacological relevance and high content of bioactive compounds. This review focuses particularly on thyme as an alternative natural antioxidant and antimicrobial with potential use in the food industry. This is in line with the preferences of the current consumer, who demands healthier and more natural products. Different studies have concluded that the use of thyme increases stability and reduces lipid oxidation during the shelf-life period of foods (meat, meat products, milk, fish or fish products), which makes thyme a promising source of natural additives. Despite these findings, the use of Thymus extracts or essential oils as natural additives in foods is reduced in comparison with other natural preservative extracts. This review provides an overview of the most important information on the positive effect of the bioactive compounds of thyme and its uses as a preservative in foods, taking into account its origin (from plants, plant extracts or essential oils). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Plant-Derived as Preservatives)

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