Shelf-Life Determination of Common Carp Fillet Dipped in Cinnamon Extract during Storage in Refrigerator

Cinnamon and its extract contain different chemical components that might possess both antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. This study was carried out to evaluate some chemical, microbial and sensory quality changes of common carp fillets treated with cinnamon extract during refrigerated storage. The fish fillets (approximate average weight of 100g) were prepared and divided into three groups. First and second groups were dipped in cinnamon extract with the concentration of 1.5 and 3%, respectively. The third group; the control, was dipped in distilled water. Fish fillets were wrapped in polyethylene package during storage at refrigeration temperature (4±1°C). The chemical tests consisted of peroxide index, thiobarbituric acid, total volatile basic nitrogen and microbial tests including total viable count, psychrotrophic count with sensory evaluation, were performed over the period of 21 days. The results showed that cinnamon extract with 1.5% concentration delayed oxidation and microbial spoilage, while keeping the sensory evaluation score. This concentration was unable to maintain bacterial spoilage, thiobarbituric acid, total volatile basic nitrogen and sensory indices up to the proposed acceptable limit on fourteenth day of the trial. Cinnamon extract at 3% concentration retarded the spoilage indexes in the acceptable limit up to fourteenth day of the cold storage. The cinnamon extract with 3% concentration might be used as a natural antioxidant to retard the spoilage process of fish fillet . However, this concentration was unable to maintain the freshness indexes of the treated fish fillets until the 21-day of the experiment.