Plants Sources of Food Preservatives

The high demand of healthy foods caused by high population density and health risks associated with contaminated foods has necessitated the search for economical, accessible and safe food preservatives mostly from plants. This study is aimed at unveiling the bioactive compounds responsible for the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of plants which have been reported to exhibit food preservative properties. From the literature explored, polyphenols, thiols and essential oils were linked to food preservative properties of plants. Despite the promising features of plant as food preservatives, the use of plant-based preservatives is not well accepted due to standardization and consumers acceptance. Hence, safety profile and shelf-life of plant-based preservatives should be extensively studied.