Natural preservative Litsea cubeba essential oil: With emphasis on its biological activities, encapsulation methods and application in food preservation

Microbial contamination is an inevitable problem in the field of food preservation. Natural preservatives are rapidly taking the place of chemical preservatives as green health becomes more prevalent. Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCEO), an aromatic substance extracted from the fruits and leaves of Litsea cubeba, is a type of natural preservative. Among its many benefits are its outstanding antibacterial, antioxidant, and mildew properties. However, it defects in volatilization and stability greatly limits its application in food preservation. In this review, based on the chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant ability of LCEO, the methods of encapsulating essential oils, including emulsion, microcapsule and nanofiber, will be introduced. Furthermore, the applications of LCEO in food preservation are also summarized. These results demonstrated that the stability of LCEO is greatly improved after encapsulation, and the release rate is also controlled. When it is applied to the preservation of food, the shelf life is significantly extended.