US 12419317 B1Patent grantUnited States

Plant-Derived Antimicrobial Food Preservative

Official patent title

Plant derived food preservative

Arabic title: مادة حافظة للأغذية مشتقة من النباتات

Invention

Problem

Food distribution increases exposure to bacterial, yeast, and fungal spoilage, while some synthetic preservatives may raise consumer-acceptance or safety concerns and still require effective concentrations.

Why it matters

A plant-derived preservation system could offer another formulation pathway, but food safety, migration, sensory effects, shelf-life benefit, dose, microbial coverage, and regulatory suitability must be independently established.

Approach

The preservative combines pomegranate-peel-derived zinc oxide nanoparticles with dried beetroot and/or red-cabbage extract, and the patent describes adding that composition to food to inhibit listed bacteria or fungi.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include food-preservation researchers, ingredient formulators, food manufacturers, packaging and shelf-life laboratories, plant-extract processors, and microbiology groups evaluating antimicrobial food systems.

Potential value

The disclosure combines three plant feedstocks with zinc oxide nanoparticles, defines extract composition and FTIR features, supplies a fabrication route, and reports antimicrobial-zone and DPPH assay endpoints.

Background

Longer and more varied food-distribution chains increase opportunities for contamination by bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Thermal, pressure, irradiation, and chemical-preservative methods are used to control spoilage, but each affects product design and may raise safety, quality, or consumer-acceptance questions. The patent proposes combining pomegranate-peel-derived zinc oxide nanoparticles with beetroot or red-cabbage extracts. Laboratory inhibition-zone and radical-scavenging measurements are described, but these do not by themselves establish preservation performance, safe intake, sensory acceptability, or shelf life in a commercial food.

Technology overview

Pomegranate peel is washed, dried at 30–50 °C for 24–36 hours, ground, and extracted with a protic solvent. The extract reacts with a hydrated zinc salt to form zinc oxide nanoparticles. Beetroot and/or red cabbage is ground and calcined to a nanocomposite powder, then combined with the zinc oxide material. The claims define dried ethanolic extract composition, FTIR peaks, microorganism lists, and a DPPH IC50 of 4 mg/mL or less; the summary reports inhibition-zone endpoints for selected organisms.

Potential applications

Potential food-preservation research against listed bacteria and fungi.
Potential formulation studies using beetroot or red-cabbage extract.
Potential antimicrobial ingredient testing in selected food matrices.
Potential shelf-life studies after safety and sensory evaluation.

Evidence-supported advantages

Uses pomegranate peel, beetroot, and/or red-cabbage feedstocks.
Combines plant extracts with zinc oxide nanoparticles.
Defines FTIR and extract-composition characteristics.
Reports inhibition-zone and DPPH assay endpoints.

Development stage

Patent publication describing fabrication and laboratory antimicrobial and antioxidant assays; independent food-safety, shelf-life, and commercial validation were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The formulation may interest food-ingredient and preservation developers. Product work must establish composition and nanoparticle reproducibility, effective dose in real foods, challenge-test and shelf-life outcomes, zinc migration and intake, toxicology, digestion and bioavailability, sensory and color effects, packaging interactions, manufacturing hygiene, stability, labeling, and authorization under each intended food-use jurisdiction.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

A23B2/788Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A01N59/16Preservation of human, animal or plant bodies or parts thereof; biocides, pesticides and herbicides; pest repellants or attractants; plant growth regulators

CPC

A23B2/788Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A01N59/16Preservation of human, animal or plant bodies or parts thereof; biocides, pesticides and herbicides; pest repellants or attractants; plant growth regulators
A01P1/00Biocidal, pest-repellent, pest-attractant or plant-growth-regulatory activity of chemical compounds or preparations
A23B2/733Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A23B2/754Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables

Inventors

First inventorAhmed Aly Ahmed Allam
InventorHassan Ahmed Rudayni
InventorRehab Khaled Mahmoud
InventorNabil Sayed Hafez
InventorSaleh Ahmed Nomain Maodaa
InventorKhalil Ibrahim Khalil
InventorSamah Ahmed Abd-El Twab Awad
InventorAmany Ahmed Abd-El Halim Mohamed

Keywords

food preservative
pomegranate peel
zinc oxide nanoparticles
beetroot extract
red cabbage extract
antimicrobial
DPPH
food safety

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.