The Effects of Chitosan Coating on Biogenic Amines Inhibition and Microbial Succession of Refrigerated Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) Fillets

Chitosan coating and plastic wrap coating were investigated for their effects on the quality of grass carp fillets stored at 4 ± 1ºC for a period of 20 days. The fillets were divided into groups of untreated (Control), wrapped with sterile preservative film (PE), and chitosan-treated (1, 2, and 2.5% w/v corresponding to CH1, CH2, and CH2.5, respectively). The final result demonstrated that chitosan coating has positive effects on the microbial inhibition of total volatile count (TVC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas, H₂S-producing bacteria (including Shewanella putrefaciens), and Staphylococcus. With regard to the results of biogenic amines (BAs), putrescine (PUT) and histamine (HIS) were the major amines, and their concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Control and PE than in chitosan-coated fillets at the end of storage. The final concentration in Control, PE, CH1, CH2, and CH2.5 was 143.7, 160.1, 83.0, 59.4, and 44.2 mg/kg for PUT and 228.0, 57.1, 4.1 3.2, and 2.9 for HIS, respectively. Chitosan coating was found to inhibit the increase of total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), microbial population, and total BAs and prolong the shelf life of grass carp fillets. However, sterile plastic wrap coating had little positive effect on maintaining the quality of grass carp fillets during refrigerated storage.