Plant extracts contain large amounts of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols. Polyphenols inhibit the growth of microorganisms, especially bacteria. Their mechanism of action is still not fully understood but may be related to their chemical structure. They can cause morphological changes in microorganisms, damage bacterial cell walls and influence biofilm formation. Polyphenols also influence protein biosynthesis, change metabolic processes in bacteria cells and inhibit ATP and DNA synthesis (suppressing DNA gyrase). Due to the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of phenolic compounds, plant extracts offer an alternative to chemical preservatives used in the meat industry, especially nitrates (III). They can inhibit the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microflora, suppress oxidation of meat ingredients (lipids and proteins) and prevent discoloration. In this paper, we describe the factors that influence the content of polyphenols in plants and plant extracts. We present the antimicrobial activities of plant extracts and their mechanisms of action, and discuss the effects of plant extracts on the shelf-life of meat and meat products.

Blueberry juice with high polyphenol concentration was spray- or freeze-dried using different coating materials: HP-β-cyclodextrin and β-cyclodextrin. The quality of the obtained powders was characterised by their anthocyanin content, total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity. SEM was used for monitoring structures and size (2–20 μm) of the microparticles. The losses of total phenolic compounds during spray-drying reached 76–78% on average, while these of anthocyanins about 57%. Freeze-dried powders showed better retention values of anthocyanins, which was about 1.5-fold higher than for the spray-dried counterparts. All blueberry preparations studied were characterised by very high radical scavenging activity