Phytonanoparticles for food safety and preservation: potential role, evidence and challenges in antimicrobial resistance mitigation

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to humankind, affecting food safety, health, and the economy. Moreover, it is evolving rapidly, resulting from the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture a result which has emerged as a One Health challenge. It alters food systems by creating threats to food safety, food security, and public health. Such resistant microorganisms have the ability to persist and spread in the food systems, animals, water, and the environment. Such microorganisms are further sustained by the production of biofilms. There is increased demand for safe and sustainable alternatives as a result of the limited applicability of conventional antibiotics and chemical preservatives. Plant-mediated phyto-nanoparticles (PNPs) are emerging antimicrobials. A PRISMA-compliant literature search and bibliometric analysis were used to identify leading research trends and gaps. This review evaluates their applicability in different aspects of food safety and preservation and in mitigating AMR. It includes major foodborne pathogens, resistance mechanisms, biofilm formation, and synthesis of bioactive nanoparticles using plants. The main antimicrobial mechanisms of these nanoparticles include the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), disruption of the cell membrane, release of metal ions, enzyme inhibition, DNA damage, and interference with quorum sensing. This review includes their applicability in active food packaging, edible coatings, food preservation, and food processing surfaces. This review expands existing research by including the results of real food matrices and storage studies. The review incorporates the emerging applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in nanoparticles design, prediction of antimicrobial activities, and optimization of synthesis parameters, and trend identification. In general, PNPs have a lot of potential for sustainable approaches to food preservation. However, standardized methods, rigorous safety evaluation, AI/ML-assisted optimization, and real-food, in vivo , and industrial studies are needed for successful translation.