Coating white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with edible fully deacetylated chitosan incorporated with clove essential oil and kojic acid improves preservation during cold storage

Abstract

The effect of fully deacetylated chitosan (FDCH) edible coating combined with kojic acid (KA) and clove essential oil (CEO) as natural preservatives was investigated on the shelf-life of white prawn shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during 15 days at cold storage. The results indicated that FDCH1:KA0.25:CEO0.25 coating significantly inhibited the increase in total aerobic plate count, total volatile basic nitrogen content and pH of shrimp in comparison with the control. Moreover, compared with the control, the changes of total color difference (ΔE values) and melanosis were significantly retarded, and the texture parameters and sensory scores were significantly improved in shrimp treated by FDCH1:KA0.25:CEO0.25, suggesting that there is a synergistic effect between FDCH, KA, and CEO. In addition, a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in weight loss was observed for coated shrimp during the storage. The results suggested that FDCH1:KA0.25:CEO0.25 coating may be promising to be used as active packaging for extending the shelf life, and incorporation of KA and CEO may enhance the efficacy of the coating.