The Effects of Black Cumin, Black Caraway Extracts and Their Combination on Shelf Life Extension of Silver Carp (H ypophthalmichthys molitrix ) during Refrigerated Storage

Effect of ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) extract and gamma irradiation on the shelf-life extension of rohu (Labeo rohita) and seer (Scomberomorus guttatus) fish steaks during chilled storage

Fishes are highly perishable, mainly stored and transported under frozen condition; however, they are mainly preferred as fresh or in chilled form for consumption because frozen storage compromises the texture quality and other sensory attributes. Shelf-life enhancement of rohu and seer fish steaks was studied using combination of ajwain extract (various concentrations) and γ-irradiation (various doses) under chilled storage (4 °C). These were analyzed periodically by microbiological, sensory, color and biochemical analyses during storage. Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed thymol as major component. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the presence of nine phenolic compounds including thymol in ajwain extract. The best result was achieved when samples were dipped in 10 % ajwain extract with 2 kGy gamma irradiation dose. An extended shelf-life of 5 and 10 days in case of rohu and seer fish steaks were attained respectively using this combination. These results were confirmed by microbial, biochemical and sensory analyses. The present study thus promises potential application of the above protocol in fishery industry for good quality of fish and commercial benefits.

Current Advances in the Concept of Quorum Sensing-Based Prevention of Spoilage of Fish Products by Pseudomonads

Microbial spoilage of fish is attributed to quorum sensing (QS)-based activities. QS is a communication process between the cells in which microorganisms secrete and sense the specific chemicals (autoinductors, AIs) that regulate proteolysis, lipolysis, and biofilm formation. These activities change the organoleptic characteristics and reduce the safety of the products. Although the microbial community of fish is diverse and may consist of a range of bacterial strains, the deterioration of fish-based products is attributed to the growth and activity of Pseudomonas spp. This work summarizes recent advancements to assess the influence of QS mechanisms on seafood spoilage by Pseudomonas spp. The quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) in the context of fish preservation has also been discussed. Detailed recognition of this phenomenon is crucial in establishing effective strategies to prevent the premature deterioration of fish-based products.

Nondestructive prediction of freshness for bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) head by Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM) analysis based on fish eye fluid: Comparison of BPNNs and RBFNNs

This study established back-propagation neural networks (BPNNs) and radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) models for evaluating the freshness of bighead carp head storage at different temperatures via the characteristic components of Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM). Two characteristic components of EEM data of fish eye fluid were extracted by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and were the most efficient components to stimulate fluorophores responsible for fish freshness detection during variable temperatures. EEM-RBFNNs and EEM-BPNNs models based on characteristic components of EEM used to predict the fish freshness. The results demonstrated the relative errors of EEM-BPNNs models for hiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total viable bacteria count (TAC) prediction were less than 10% which were better than those of EEM-RBFNNs models. It indicated that EEM-BPNNs model of bighead carp eye fluid by PARAFAC has a high potential for predicting fish freshness under variable storage conditions.

Innovative Seafood Preservation Technologies: Recent Developments

Fish and fishery products are among the food commodities of high commercial value, high-quality protein content, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health. However, seafood products are highly perishable and thus require proper processing to maintain their quality and safety. On the other hand, consumers, nowadays, demand fresh or fresh-like, minimally processed fishery products that do not alter their natural quality attributes. The present article reviews the results of studies published over the last 15 years in the literature on: (i) the main spoilage mechanisms of seafood including contamination with pathogens and (ii) innovative processing technologies applied for the preservation and shelf life extension of seafood products. These primarily include: high hydrostatic pressure, natural preservatives, ozonation, irradiation, pulse light technology and retort pouch processing.

Use of essential oils and vacuum packaging as a way to extend shelf life of burgers from surimi

Essential oils are known to be a natural preservative due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate an effect of thyme and cumin essential oils (EOs) in combination with air packaging and vacuum packaging on the shelf life of burgers from surimi and chicken meat. The study was conducted at 2°C for 27 days. We tested four groups of samples: (a) burgers in air package, (b) burgers with cumin and thyme EOs in air packaging, (c) burgers in vacuum packaging, and (d) burgers with cumin and thyme EOs in vacuum packaging. The greatest effect (P < 0.001) on the chemical and microbiological characteristics of the novel burgers displayed burgers with EOs of thyme and cumin packaged under vacuum. It can be explained by synergistic effect, which made it possible to extend the shelf life of the burgers. These results allowed us to suggest that surimi could be used as a basic ingredient in burgers production.

Natural products with preservative properties for enhancing the microbiological safety and extending the shelf-life of seafood: A review

Seafood is highly perishable, presenting a rapid loss of its quality soon after capture. Temperature is the critical parameter that impacts on seafood shelf-life reduction, allowing the growth of foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. In recent years, the search by additional methods of preserving seafood has increased, able to ensure quality and safety. Several natural preservatives have highlighted and gained considerable attention from the scientific community, consumers, industry, and health sectors as a method with broad action antimicrobial and generally economical. Natural preservatives, from different sources, have been widely studied, such as chitosan from animal sources, essential oils, and plant extracts from a plant source, lactic acid bacteria, and bacteriocins from microbiological sources and organic acid from different sources, all with great potential for use in seafood systems. This review focuses on the natural preservatives studied in seafood matrices, their forms of application, concentrations usually employed, their mechanisms of action, factors that interfere in their use and the synergistic effect of the interactions among the natural preservatives, with a focus for maintenance of quality and ensure of food safety.

Review on Natural Preservatives for Extending Fish Shelf Life

Fish is extremely perishable as a result of rapid microbial growth naturally present in fish or from contamination. Synthetic preservatives are widely used in fish storage to extend shelf life and maintain quality and safety. However, consumer preferences for natural preservatives and concerns about the safety of synthetic preservatives have prompted the food industry to search natural preservatives. Natural preservatives from microorganisms, plants, and animals have been shown potential in replacing the chemical antimicrobials. Bacteriocins and organic acids from bacteria showed good antimicrobial activities against spoilage bacteria. Plant-derived antimicrobials could prolong fish shelf life and decrease lipid oxidation. Animal-derived antimicrobials also have good antimicrobial activities; however, their allergen risk should be paid attention. Moreover, some algae and mushroom species can also provide a potential source of new natural preservatives. Obviously, the natural preservatives could perform better in fish storage by combining with other hurdles such as non-thermal sterilization processing, modified atmosphere packaging, edible films and coatings.