Potentials of Phenolic Rich Citrus Extracts as Food Preservative: A Review

Abstract

Tren konsumen baru-baru ini yang mengarah kepada minimnya pengunaan pengawet pangan sintetis telah mendorong riset pengawet pangan alami. Ekstrak jeruk yang kaya fenolik menjadi alternatif pengawet pangan natural yang memiliki potensi aktivitas antimikroba tinggi dan relatif mudah diproduksi. Kajian literatur dilakukan terhadap publikasi yang tersedia untuk menganalisis potensi ekstrak jeruk kaya fenolik sebagai pengawet pangan. Fokus dari studi ini adalah komposisi senyawa fenolik jeruk, metode ekstraksi, mode aksi antimikroba, dan aplikasi in situ ekstrak pada bahan pangan. Perkembangan baru ekstrak jeruk dalam edible film/coating dan biosintesis nanopartikel logam juga dibahas dalam kajian ini. Hasilnya ekstrak jeruk kaya fenolik memiliki potensi tinggi untuk digunakan sebagai pengawet pangan yang mudah rusak, terutama jika dikombinasikan dengan metode pengawetan yang lain. Perpanjangan umur simpan yang signifikan untuk produk daging segar, susu, sayur dan buah dicapai tanpa pengaruh negatif terhadap kualitas sensori.

Recent consumer demands toward less use of synthetic food preservatives have pushed the researches of naturally derived preservative. Citrus extracts that are rich in phenolics, provide a promising natural alternative to conventional synthetic preservatives due to its potent antimicrobial activity and relatively easy to produce. Literature review on various publications was done to analyse the potential of phenolic rich citrus extracts to be used as food preservatives. The emphasize of this review were located on the composition of citrus phenolics, methods of extraction, antimicrobial modes of action, and in-situ applications in food. Recent developments of citrus extracts in edible film/coating and in biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles were also discussed in this review. The results of this review indicated a promising potential for phenolic rich citrus extracts to be used as food preservatives for perishable foods, particularly when in combinations with other hurdle technologies. Significant shelf life extension on fresh meat, dairy, vegetable, and fruit products was achieved without negatively affecting the sensory qualities.