Meat and meat products are perishable in nature, and easily susceptible to microbial contamination and chemical deterioration. This not only results in an increased risk to health of consumers, but also causes economic loss to the meat industry. Some microorganisms of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group and their ribosomal-synthesized antimicrobial peptides—especially bacteriocins—can be used as a natural preservative, and an alternative to chemical preservatives in meat industry. Purified or partially purified bacteriocins can be used as a food additive or incorporated in active packaging, while bacteriocin-producing cells could be added as starter or protective cultures for fermented meats. Large-scale applications of bacteriocins are limited, however, mainly due to the narrow antimicrobial spectrum and varying stability in different food matrixes. To overcome these limitations, bioengineering and biotechnological techniques are being employed to combine two or more classes of bacteriocins and develop novel bacteriocins with high efficacy. These approaches, in combination with hurdle concepts (active packaging), provide adequate safety by reducing the pathogenicity of spoilage microorganisms, improving sensory characteristics (e.g., desirable flavor, texture, aroma) and enhancing the shelf life of meat-based products. In this review, the biosynthesis of different classes of LAB bacteriocins, their mechanism of action and their role in the preservation of meats and meat products are reviewed.

The residing microbiome with its vast repertoire of genes provide distinctive properties to the host by which they can degrade and utilise nutrients that otherwise pass the gastro-intestinal tract unchanged. The polyphenols in our diet have selective growth promoting effects which is of utmost importance as the state of good health has been linked to dominance of particular microbial genera. The polyphenols in native form might more skilfully exert anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties but in a living system it is the microbial derivatives of polyphenol that play a key role in determining health outcome. This two way interaction has invoked great interest among researchers who have commenced several clinical surveys and numerous studies in in-vitro, simulated environment and living systems to find out in detail about the biomolecules involved in such interaction along with their subsequent physiological benefits. In this review, we have thoroughly discussed these studies to develop a fair idea on how the amalgamation of probiotics and polyphenol has an immense potential as an adjuvant therapeutic for disease prevention as well as treatment.

• Total polyphenol content in the human diet is underestimated due to inefficient extraction methodology. • Entrapment of NEPP in the food matrix meshwork makes it unavailable for digestion and absorption. • NEPP, EPP along with dietary fibre contributes to the growth of gut microbial ecology. • The microbial metabolites of NEPP shows immunomodulatory effect.

This study explores the efficacy of bamboo essential oil (BEO) incorporated at 15 ppm (T1, BEO-I) and 30 ppm (T2, BEO-II) on the overall physicochemical and oxidative stability, microbial deterioration, and sensory acceptability of meatballs stored for 20 days under refrigerated conditions. Analysis of various parameters, including physicochemical quality, color (CIE L*, CIE a* and CIE b*), generation of oxidative products (TBARS), microbial growth, and sensory acceptability of meatballs were evaluated at 5-day intervals. In addition, the total phenolics and flavonoid content of BEO were estimated, and fatty acids were determined by Gas chromatography (GC.) To gain insights into the biological activities of the BEO, antioxidant assays were determined in vitro using various methods. The antibacterial activity of BEO was also evaluated against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Vibrio cholera, Salmonella Typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacterial strains. The BEO contained a good quantity of total phenolics and flavonoids. In addition, the oil exhibited very potent antioxidant activity scavenging reactive oxygen and other such species, effectively showing IC₅₀ at a very minimal concentration. Further, the BEO exhibited a strong antibacterial effect with MICs within 2 µL and MBCs from 5 to 7 µL for Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. At both the concentrations used, BEO did not show any negative effect on the color of cooked meatballs but rather increased the microbiological and oxidative stability during the overall storage period. Meatballs treated with BEO had considerably reduced oxidative changes in terms of TBARS levels compared to the control. The total viable microbial count was lowest in BEO-treated meatballs and the highest in control. Both control and treated meatballs had a desirable flavor and good acceptability. The sensory attributes and aroma of treated meatballs were better and acceptable during the storage study, whereas the control samples were disliked by the panelists on 15th day. From this study, it can be concluded that bamboo essential oil could be used as a benign and non-toxic preservative to improve the quality and shelf life of cooked meatballs stored under refrigerated conditions.

Innumerable health-beneficial properties of sesame lignans like sesamol, sesamolin, sesamin and sesaminol make them lucrative agents in the pharmaceutical industry. To specify the mode of action of these phytochemicals, detailed computational physicochemical properties evaluation, and toxicity assessment (using free web servers and databases), as well as binding interactions with physiological inflammatory effectors (such as COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) by means of rigid ligand-receptor docking (using software), have been thoroughly investigated. Interestingly, sesame lignans are conformed to have drug-likeness, indicating their efficacy and suitability like established therapeutics. These bioactive lignans possess drug-like attributes and effectively act as ligands in the present in-silico study. The basic pharmacokinetic profile of these compounds has suggested non-polar solvents or delivery systems for them to enhance their bioavailability in physiological systems. However, all the sesame lignans are toxic to the liver cells with a50 % lethal dose in the range of 500-1500 mg/kg. Toxicity study indicated minimum toxicity of lignans to normal cellular milieu, but noticeable cytotoxic effects against several cancerous cell lines suggesting their anti-carcinogenic properties. Finally, the findings of the molecular docking study have depicted a high affinity of these ligands for target proteins, even better than traditional anti-inflammatory drugs- Indomethacin and Ibuprofen. The molecular interactions have represented sesaminol as the most effective and Sesamol as the least potent ligand for target receptor whereas COX-2 seems to be the most vulnerable target. The docking scores varied widely (-4.7 to -11.0 kcal/mol). The present in-silico approach is expected to provide valuable resources for optimizing bioactive molecules as future-generation therapeutics before pre-clinical and clinical studies.

Recent years have witnessed profound advancements in nutritional research, particularly when viewed through the lens of physiology. Scientists and researchers persistently delve into the intricate interplay between nutrients and the human body. This ongoing exploration has yielded a nuanced understanding of how dietary components intricately influence human health. Some key advances include: Microbiome Research, Precision or personalised Nutrition, Epigenetic and Nutrigenomics, Metabolic Flexibility, Intermittent Fasting and time-restricted eating, Nutrient timing, Dietary influences on mental health, Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Role of inflammation, Advanced Imaging Techniques, Nutri-informatics, etc.