Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of phenolic acid grafted chitosan and its application in food preservation: A review

Chitosan is a bio-renewable natural polymeric material. The antibacterial and antioxidant activity of chitosan can be enhanced by grafting with phenolic acids to further expand its application in food. Therefore, this paper focuses on reviewing the structure, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and their mechanisms with phenolic acid-g-CS, evaluating its cytotoxicity, and describing its application in various food preservation. In general, different reaction mechanisms of phenolic acid-g-CS synthesis lead to different product structures. Compared to chitosan, phenolic acid-g-chitosan exhibited enhanced antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The toxicity assessment showed that phenolic acid-g-CS is not cytotoxic. Moreover, phenolic acid-g-CS has been applied to a variety of food products such as fruits, vegetables and meat with good results. Overall, this review provides a certain reference for subsequent researchers to design phenolic acid-g-CS more rationally and for the subsequent development of phenolic acid-g-CS in food preservation.