Uncovering the Industrial Potentials of Lemongrass Essential Oil as a Food Preservative: A Review
Fatima Faheem,
Zhi Wei Liu,
Roshina Rabail,
Iahtisham-Ul Haq,
Maryam Gul,
Marcin Bryła,
Marek Roszko,
Marek Kieliszek,
Ahmad Din,
Rana Muhammad Aadil
Affiliations
Fatima Faheem
National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Zhi Wei Liu
College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Roshina Rabail
National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Iahtisham-Ul Haq
Kauser Abdulla Malik School of Life Sciences, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Maryam Gul
National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Marcin Bryła
Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis, Prof. Waclaw Dabrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland
Marek Roszko
Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis, Prof. Waclaw Dabrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology—State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland
Marek Kieliszek
Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159 C, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Ahmad Din
National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Rana Muhammad Aadil
National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
The food industry is growing vastly, with an increasing number of food products and the demand of consumers to have safe and pathogen-free food with an extended shelf life for consumption. It is critical to have food safe from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and unpleasant odors or tastes so that the food may not cause any health risks to consumers. Currently, the direction of food industry has been shifting from synthetically produced preservatives to natural preservatives to lower the unnecessary chemical burden on health. Many new technologies are working on natural prevention tools against food degradation. Lemongrass is one such natural preservative that possesses significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The essential oil of lemongrass contains a series of terpenes that are responsible for these activities. These properties make lemongrass acceptable in the food industry and may fulfill consumer demands. This article provides detailed information about the role of lemongrass and its essential oil in food preservation. The outcomes of the research on lemongrass offer room for its new technological applications in food preservation.
