Natural polyphenols as a promising aquatic food preservative: A concurrent review

Fish and aquatic foods are rich sources of high-quality proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, etc., making them vital for human nutrition. However, these are prone to deterioration during storage and processing due to microbial and chemical activities, resulting in rancid odors, unpleasant flavors, and texture changes. Proper additives can mitigate these issues, with natural preservatives being preferred over synthetic ones due to safety concerns. Among natural options, polyphenols derived from plants, beverages, and seaweed exhibit strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making them effective and safer alternatives to synthetic preservatives like sulfating agents. Extracts and essential oils from sources such as tea, rosemary, grape seed, ginger, and clove have demonstrated their efficacy in preserving aquatic food quality. Polyphenols present in these plants donate an electron or a hydrogen atom to neutralize the free radicals. These also deactivate reactive oxygen species or suppress the formation of free radicals. Acting as radical scavengers or chain breakers, these stop the oxidation chain reactions. In addition, polyphenols also form metal chelates. The presence of a hydroxyl group in polyphenols is associated with the anti-microbial activities against foodborne pathogens. This interacts with the cell membrane of bacteria and causes its disruption, which results in the loss of cellular content. This review highlights the potential of polyphenols as natural additives to enhance the safety, extend the shelf life, and improve the nutritional profile of aquatic food products.