The potential application of natural antimicrobial peptides in the food industry

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced by plants, animals, arthropods, and microorganisms as innate immune defense molecules that can act against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, viruses and fungi. AMPs capable of resisting proteases, pH, and temperature changes are being studied to meet the needs of the food industry that use temperature variations to improve the foods’ preservation and proteases to reduce the food’s allergy and vary the foods’ taste. The food industry can employ AMPs as biopreservants since they can control microbial growth and lipid oxidation. The AMPs can be added to low-reactive foods (e.g., fiber-rich food such as pseudocereals, whole-grain bread, nuts, cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables) and not be inserted into high-reactivity food (e.g., liquid-based food formulations). The free amino acids, carbonyl, and sulfur functional groups in the AMPs structure influence their bioactivity. The additives ascorbate and nitrite added with AMPs alter their technological properties and functionality. Similarly, sulfites used as antioxidants and antiseptics can react with the AMPs’ disulfide bonds to form S-sulfonates. Thus, nano-delivery systems (nanoparticles, nanocapsules, nanofibers, and nanoliposomes) are being investigated to protect and deliver AMPs to the action’s site. Moreover, active packaging systems have been developed to influence the release of AMPs and reduce the interactions with food components.