Book Description:
This book is focused on new researches pertaining to the following areas: herbs and spices commonly used in foods, bioactive compounds derived from plants with specific focus on applications of natural products as antibacterial agents and antioxidants in foods. The data recorded through ethnopharmacological field studies are invaluable as these provide information on medicinal plants used to treat foodborne diseases. Pharmacognostic studies on certain plants have been included which provides basic data to help fixing-up their pharmacopoeial standards, thereby ensuring quality food additives. Other interesting topics include reviews on proposed mechanisms of actions of natural products as well as applications in the food industry.

Table of Contents:
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER II. HERBS AND SPICES COMMONLY USED IN FOODS
GARLIC (Allium sativum L.) AND ONION (Allium cepa L.)
GALANGAL (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.), GINGER (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), AND TUMERIC (Curcuma longa L.)
ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)
SAGE (Salvia officinalis L.)
OREGANO (Origanum vulgare L.)

CHAPTER III. BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM PLANTS
PHENOLICS AND POLYPHENOLS
QUINONES
FLAVONES, FLAVONOIDS, FLAVONOLS
TANNINS
ESSENTIAL OILS AND TERPENOIDS
ORGANOSULFUR COMPOUNDS

CHAPTER IV. COMMON FOODBORNE PATHOGENS
Bacillus cereus
Campylobacter spp.
Clostridium spp.
Escherichia coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Salmonella spp.
Shigella spp.
Staphylococcus aureus
Vibrio spp.
Yersinia enterocolitica

CHAPTER V. APPLICATIONS OF NATURAL PRODUCTS AS ANTIOXIDANTS IN FOODS
LIPID OXIDATION IN MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS
SYNTHETIC ANTIOXIDANTS
ALTERNATIVE ANTIOXIDANTS FROM NATURAL PRODUCTS
NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS IN MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS
PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS
CONTRIBUTION OF NATURAL ADDITIVES AS COLOUR ENHANCER IN MEAT
NATURAL ADDITIVES AS ANTIOXIDANTS IN OIL
NATURAL ADDITIVES AS ANTIOXIDANTS IN CONFECTIONERIES

CHAPTER VI. ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF NATURAL ADDITIVES IN FOODS
CHEESE AND BUTTER
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
FISH
MAYONNAISE AND SALAD DRESSINGS
MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS
MILK
FACTORS INFLUENCING ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF NATURAL ADDITIVES
PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF NATURAL ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS

CHAPTER VII. INCORPORATION OF NATURAL ADDITIVES INTO FLEXIBLE FILMS

CHAPTER VIII. COMBINATION OF NATURAL ADDITIVES WITH OTHER PRESERVATIVES OR PRESERVATION METHODS

CHAPTER IX. ORGANOLEPTIC ASSESSMENTS OF NATURAL ADDITIVES

CHAPTER X. FUTURE WORK AND CONCLUSIONS
INDEX