An investigation on characteristics of rainbow trout coated using chitosan assisted with thyme essential oil.

Our study aimed to determine the nutritional, textural and sensorial characteristics of butterfly-shaped rainbow trout which is coated by using enriched chitosan with thyme EO during 15 days of refrigerated storage (5±1 °C). The treatments were Cs (chitosan; 2%, w/v), Cs+T (chitosan; 2%, w/v and Thymus vulgaris EO; 1%, v/v) and C (uncoated control samples). The composition of the EO was investigated by GC/MS. Generally, the EO was found to be rich in the active monoterpene phenols (thymol and carvacrol) and their corresponding monoterpene hydrocarbon precursors such as γ-terpinene and the oxygenated monoterpenes such as linalool. Nineteen constituent out of 116, representing 86.79% of the EO were identified, of which the major ones were thymol (3.63%), carvacrol (21.89%), γ-terpinen (2.05%), and linalool (9.04%). Furthermore, textural and sensorial analyses were performed. Our results demonstrated chitosan coating helped with thyme EO made no unfavorable change in taste. Also it can enhance nutritional, textural and sensorial characteristics of butterfly-shaped rainbow trout during 15 days of refrigerated storage.