Benefits of Antimicrobial Phytoextracts in the Fight to Foodborne Pathogens

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1859

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Science and Technology, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Benevento, Italy
Interests: natural antimicrobials; antimicrobial resistance; microbial biofilm; microbiological food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Science and Technology, Università degli Studi del Sannio di Benevento, Benevento, Italy
Interests: natural antimicrobials; antimicrobial resistence; microbial biofilm; microbiological food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since ancient times, plants with therapeutic properties have secured an important place in healing practices and the treatment of diseases. In developing countries, traditional phytotherapeutic medicine is still a pillar of healthcare today and most health problems rely on natural therapeutic solutions that have local plants as a resource. With the beginning of the post-antibiotic era (Antimicrobial resistance: global report on surveillance. WHO, 2014), the spread of antibiotic resistance even among food pathogens, herbal medicines have been widely re-evaluated and have gained a fundamental role in all global health programs, even those of highly industrialized countries.

Compared to chemical preservatives, phytoextracts generally have a broad-spectrum activity, wide availability at low cost, especially if obtained from agri-food industry waste, minimal danger and ecological footprint. Therefore, knowledge about antimicrobial botanical agents, their chemical characterization, the precise mechanism of action, details on efficacy and safety profile can help in the biological control of foodborne pathogens in eco-friendly strategies.

Dr. Caterina Pagliarulo
Dr. Daniela Sateriale
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • antimicrobial botanical agents
  • phytoextracts
  • foodborne pathogens
  • phytotherapeutic medicine
  • botanical food preservatives
  • food safety
  • natural antimicrobial agents
  • safe food preservation approach
  • bio-based food antimicrobials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2655 KiB  
Article
Pomegranate Peel and Olive Leaf Extracts to Optimize the Preservation of Fresh Meat: Natural Food Additives to Extend Shelf-Life
by Giuseppina Forgione, Giuseppa Anna De Cristofaro, Daniela Sateriale, Chiara Pagliuca, Roberta Colicchio, Paola Salvatore, Marina Paolucci and Caterina Pagliarulo
Microorganisms 2024, 12(7), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12071303 - 27 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1641
Abstract
Quality and safety are one of the main concerns of the European Union in food preservation. Using chemical additives extends the shelf-life of fresh foods but raises consumer’s concerns about the potential long-term carcinogenic effects. Using natural substances derived from agro-industrial by-products, which [...] Read more.
Quality and safety are one of the main concerns of the European Union in food preservation. Using chemical additives extends the shelf-life of fresh foods but raises consumer’s concerns about the potential long-term carcinogenic effects. Using natural substances derived from agro-industrial by-products, which have significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, could extend the shelf-life of fresh foods such as meat. Furthermore, they can provide nutritional improvements without modifying organoleptic properties. This study analyzes the antimicrobial activity of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and the antioxidant activity of olive leaf extract (OLE), added at concentrations of 10 mg g−1 and 0.25 mg g−1, respectively, to minced poultry and rabbit meat. PPE exhibited in vitro antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens starting at 10 mg/well. PPE and OLE determined a reduction in colony count over a storage period of 6 days at 4 °C. Additionally, the combination of PPE and OLE showed antioxidant effects, preserving lipid oxidation and maintaining pH levels. The obtained results demonstrate that PPE and OLE can be recommended as food additives to preserve the quality and extend the shelf-life of meat products. Full article
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