Physicochemical responses and microbiological changes of bream (Megalobrama ambycephala) to pectin based coatings enriched with clove essential oil during refrigeration.

The effectiveness of pectin coatings enriched with clove essential oil (CEO), as new edible coatings were investigated to preserve bream (Megalobrama ambycephala) fillets during refrigeration over a period of 15 days. All samples were analyzed for physicochemical (pH, PV, TBA and TVB-N), microbiological (Total viable count, Psychrophilic bacteria, Lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., H2S producing bacteria) and organoleptic attributes. The results revealed that the CEO incorporation reduced the extent of lipid oxidation, as judged by PV, TBA and TVB-N, thus extending the shelf life of bream fillets by at least 15 days. Moreover, the application of pectin coatings with CEO improved the weight loss, water holding capacity, textural and color attributes of the bream samples significantly compared to untreated sample. Pectin coating along with CEO was effective in inhibiting bacterial growth especially in gram-negative bacteria, while the growth of lactic acid bacteria remained constant for most of the storage period. The effect on the microorganisms during storage was in accordance with biochemical indexes of the quality, representing the viability of these coatings for bream preservation. Thus, the coatings developed in present study could inhibit the development of lipid oxidation during cold storage, representing an option as a seafood preservative.