Abstract
The effect of thyme essential oil (Thymus zygis, subspecies gracilis) on the quality and shelf life of gilthead seabream was studied, when added to the diet: a control diet and four experimental diets (T500, T1000, T1500, T2000) with 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg kg−1 of thyme essential oil, respectively. After 12 weeks of experimentation, the fish were stored on ice at 4 °C for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days. Physical–chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were carried out at each sampling point to determine the degree of deterioration. A dose-dependent effect was observed on the colour, TBARS and total volatile basic nitrogen during the storage. Microbiological counts were lower for Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms at high doses of the essential oil. The sensory analysis showed an effect on the quality index that was not dependent on the dose, which extended the shelf life of gilthead seabream from 17 to 18 days for all doses.
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