Effect of natural plant extracts on the quality of meat products: a meta-analysis

Natural plant extracts (NPE) from some organs of plants are rich in bioactive substances. They have special nutritional characteristics with strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The potential of NPEs to maintain and improve the quality of meat products has attracted attention due to concerns about the safety hazards of synthetic food additives. This paper extensively reviewed the application of NPE in meat processing, and systematically analyzed the comprehensive effects of different NPE using meta-analysis. Fourty-eight articles from 23 countries were studied with standard mean deviation (SMD) using random effect model, and 28 indexes were isolated. Results showed that NPE can reduce the pH value of meat products, improve antioxidant capacity, reduce the degree of oxidation and inhibit microbial growth. In addition, it was found that NPE had a significant impact on the quality of meat products. This meta-analysis provides quantitative evidence to explain how NPE affects meat quality, and helps to better understand the role of NPE in meat processing.