ABSTRACT
Tood preservation dates back to prehistoric times and has become refined Into an art in various cuisines around the world. The potential benefits of edible plants as well as their phytochemicals in food preservation and improvement of organoleptic qualities of certain traditional foods have been practiced for centuries. Ancient Egyptians used spices and oils for preventing food spoilage as well as for embalming the dead. The therapeutic use of garlic for a variety of ailments, including indigestion, pneumonia, wounds, and infections, were cited by Hippocrates, Pliny, and Virgil. Although ancient civilizations acknowledged the antiseptic and antimicrobial potential of many plant extracts, it was not until recently that the implied phytochemicals were characterized. Advances in molecular separation techniques led to the isolation of various phytoantimicrobial (PAM) compounds. The increased demand for minimally processed, extended shelf-life foods has further revived interest in exploitation of these natural PAM agents.
