Recent Advancements in Enhancing Antimicrobial Activity of Plant-Derived Polyphenols by Biochemical Means

Plants are a reservoir of phytochemicals, which are known to possess several beneficial health properties. Along with all the secondary metabolites, polyphenols have emerged as potential replacements for synthetic additives due to their lower toxicity and fewer side effects. However, controlling microbial growth using these preservatives requires very high doses of plant-derived compounds, which limits their use to only specific conditions. Their use at high concentrations leads to unavoidable changes in the organoleptic properties of foods. Therefore, the biochemical modification of natural preservatives can be a promising alternative to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of plant-derived compounds/polyphenols. Amongst these modifications, low concentration of ascorbic acid (AA)–Cu (II), degradation products of ascorbic acid (DPAA), Maillard reaction products (MRPs), laccase–mediator (Lac–Med) and horse radish peroxidase (HRP)–H2O2 systems standout. This review reveals the importance of plant polyphenols, their role as antimicrobial agents, the mechanism of the biochemical methods and the ways these methods may be used in enhancing the antimicrobial potency of the plant polyphenols. Ultimately, this study may act as a base for the development of potent antimicrobial agents that may find their use in food applications.