Effect of natural plant extracts on antimicrobial activity, antioxidants, and quality of pasteurized milk: A systematic literature review

The main objective of this literature review is to examine the effect of natural plant extracts on the physicochemical, antimicrobial, organoleptic, and antioxidant properties of pasteurized milk. The food industry is increasingly using natural plant extracts such as olive leaf extract, essential oils, ginger, rosemary water extract, thyme, and other natural additives due to increasing consumer demand for more natural and synthetic-free products. This natural plant extract has the potential to improve the quality of physicochemical, antimicrobial, organoleptic, and antioxidant aspects of pasteurized milk products. Total mesophilic bacteria (TAMB) stored at 4°C showed that samples supplemented with natural extracts had a stronger effect in reducing bacteria and maintaining nutritional parameters than the control group samples. These findings indicate that there has been a lot of research on pasteurized milk, but there is still little research discussing pasteurized milk enriched with natural plant extracts. Pasteurized milk enriched with natural plant extracts can increase antioxidant activity, function as a natural preservative, extend shelf life, and increase consumer satisfaction.