Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Citrus Essential Oil on the Quality of Vacuum-Packed Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Fillets During Refrigerated Storage

The preservative effect of refrigerated and vacuum-packed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets inoculated with four mixtures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Carnobacterium piscicola) and incorporated with citrus essential oil (CEO) was evaluated on the basis of microbiological and biochemical analysis.

Initially, sea bass fillets showed high nutritional quality. During refrigerated storage, lipid contents did not show a significant decrease in any fish fillets; meanwhile, important proteolysis was observed in untreated control. In addition, results indicated that both CEO and LAB strains exhibited antimicrobial activity against spoilage, pathogenic, and fungi flora. Moreover, the total volatile bases (TVB-N) values were higher in control fillets, and the lowest TVB-N values were observed in Control CEO and C3 + CEO (30.47 ± 0.00 and 32.29 ± 1.12 mg TVB-N/100 g, respectively). Also, the levels of biogenic amines increased in all fillets without exceeding the upper limit of acceptability except for untreated control (sum of about 1396.63 ppm). Furthermore, this combined treatment ameliorated the muscle liquid-holding capacity, which improves technological properties.

Overall, this treatment may open new promising opportunities for the biopreservation of fish products by enhancing the period of storage of refrigerated and vacuum-packed sea bass fillets.     

Effect of Soluble CO2 Stabilization on the Quality of Fillets from Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) and European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

ABSTRACT

Soluble gas stabilization (SGS) is a relatively recent methodology of active packaging that has been proposed to extend the shelf life of packaged fish. The aim of the present work was to study the effect of SGS applied at different extents (2 bars: 30 and 60 min) on the shelf life of sea bream and sea bass fillets packed in air during chilled storage. Quality changes were evaluated by sensory assessment, microbiological analysis (TVC), TBARs, pH value, TVB-N, and TMA-N. No significant extension of sensory shelf life was visible as a function of SGS treatment. The treatment of fillets in CO₂ at 2 bars during 60 min had a positive effect on the microbiological shelf life of both species. On the other hand, TMA-N and TVB-N showed similar changes during storage period and were not affected by the CO₂ treatment. Sea bream treated with SGS always presented higher TBARs than control samples. Nevertheless, oxidation of sea bream and in particular, of sea bass fillets, did not appear to be a significant problem during chilled storage.