The Effects of Nanochitosan Coating Integrated to Zataria Multiflora Boiss. and Polylophium Involucratum Essential Oils on the Shelf Life Extension of Silver Carp Fillets at 4o c

Active antimicrobial food packaging is a practical technique to retard the growth of foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms by integrating antimicrobial agents into the film materials. 

The effects of Nanochithosan (NC) coating containing various concentrations of Polylophium involucratum essential oil (PIEO) and Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil (ZMEO) on microbial, chemical and sensory characteristics of silver carp fillets were investigated within 12 days during refrigerated storage. 

The aerobic plate count (APC) exceeded 7 log CFU/g after day 4 and day 6 for the control and samples coated with pure NC, respectively. The samples coated with NC containing ZMEO 0.6% and PIEO 0.6% showed the lowest microbial count. Total volatile base of nitrogen (TVB-N) of fresh silver carp at the first day of study was 10.34 mg/100 g and after 8 days reached 33.15 mg/100 g in control, while this value remained lower than 25 mg/100 g for the coated samples with NC containing ZMEO 0.6% and PIEO 0.6%. In general, integration of the ZMEO and PIEO did not cause any significant negative impact on the sensory characteristic of coated samples in comparison with those of control samples within study period. 

Based on the findings, NC coating containing ZMEO and PIEO showed a potential to be utilized as a novel active packaging for fish meat products, without any unfavorable organoleptic characteristics.