Antimicrobial compounds from crustaceans and their applications for extending shelf-life of marine-based foods

Abstract

Antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms have become a major challenge for public health and food industries because of their fast adaptability and slow response to synthetic antimicrobials. Bioactive compounds from marine sources exert various biological roles including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, and anticancer properties. Their application as an antimicrobial compound is gradually be exploited, particularly in marine-based foods (MBFs), which are highly perishable since they are abundant in proteins, lipids, and other nutrients. Also, the growing demand for fresh products with prolonged shelf-life is making the MBFs industry to urgently seek the effective methods for preservation of fresh or refrigerated MBFs. Crustaceans, which are invertebrates, are valuable source of essential nutrient based on their richness in protein, carbohydrate, minerals, lipids, and vitamins. Additionally, the by-product from the processing of crustaceans could be used as an alternative source of antimicrobials, which can be employed in MBFs as natural preservatives. This review therefore revisited the recovery of antimicrobials compounds such as antimicrobial peptides, carotenoids, and chitosan derivatives from crustaceans. The uses of these crustacean antimicrobials in extending the shelf-life of MBFs are also discussed.