The Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential of Persian Indigenous Herbs as an Alternatives for Nitrate and Nitrite in the Preservation of Meat and Meat Products: An Overview

Abstract

The consumption of animal products, including meat and meat products, has increased globally with increased household income. Spoilage by microbes, autolytic enzymes, and lipid oxidation can cause the deterioration of meat and meat products, which has a considerable economic and environmental impact. Meat curing, which includes the addition of salt, nitrite, and sometimes nitrate to fresh meat cuts, enables a preservative effect by removing moisture and reducing the water activity of the meat. Nitrates and nitrites have been traditionally used as curing agents in the production of cured meat products. Sodium and potassium nitrates and sodium and potassium nitrites are used in meat curing because they stabilize red meat color, inhibit some spoilage and food poisoning anaerobic microorganisms, delay the development of oxidative rancidity, and contribute to flavor development. The beneficial effects of adding nitrates and nitrites to meat products are the improvement of quality characteristics and microbiological safety. However, several studies have indicated that nitrates and nitrites intake should be limited owing to their potential carcinogenic effect on humans. Therefore, the consumer demand for natural or nitrate- and nitrite-free meat products remains high. There is a need to find alternative natural plant material that provides alternative antioxidant and antimicrobial activities since they are noncarcinogenic and reliable; they can substitute or reduce nitrates and nitrites with minimal or no quality compromise of sensory attributes and shelf-life. Hence in this overview, we focused on Persian indigenous herbs, their essential oil and extracts' chemical composition, and their relation to their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity to find out how the essential oils and extracts of the herbs can be applied to meat and meat as a natural substitute.