Clove essential oil (Syzygiumaromaticum) application as a biopreservative in leafy green vegetables: preharvest and postharvest effect on quality.

GOÑI MG; , S.I. ROURA,; A.G. PONCE; M.R. MOREIRA

Clove essential oil application in vegetables

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2016;

Currently, there is a strong debate about the safety aspects of chemical preservatives which are considered responsible for many carcinogenic and teratogenic attributes as well as residual toxicity. Moreover, many consumers tend to be suspicious of chemical additives and demand for natural preservatives (Omidbeygi etal., 2007). The exploration of naturally occurring antimicrobials for food preservation receives increasing attention due to consumer awareness of natural food products and a growing concern of microbial resistance towards conventional preservatives (Schuenzel and Harrison, 2002). Plant extracts has been used for ages to treat different diseases and illness. After European people arrived to America,with Asia and Africa beginning to being explored, many medicinal plants and herbs were discovered and its properties were studied. After penicillin was introduced as a wide spectrum antibiotic, fitotherapy was relegated to a second point (Shiva-Ramayoni, 2007). However, the new and increased interest for natural and organic products has been responsible for the reinstatement of natural plant extracts as a subject for many research studies. The most popular plant extracts that have antimicrobial activities are essential oils. These are obtained directly from the plant, without subsequent transformations. As a result, the essential oil yield is low and they are still expensive. Nevertheless, the interest of the consumers in them makes the subject worth studied. They are located in specialized areas of the plant, on or near the surface of the leaves or the bark. Their functionality in the plants is still under study