TEXTURE AND COLOUR CHANGES IN Penaeus vannamei AFTER COATINGS WITH Piper betle (L) LEAVES EXTRACT

Abstract

Penaeus vannamei is an important aquaculture product heavily exported to countries such as Europe and China due to its high consumer demand. However, commercialisation of the product involves various levels of cold chain and time to reach consumers which can lead to rapid deterioration. The study aims to evaluate the texture and colour of P. vannamei after being coated with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% betel leaf extract for 16 daysof chilled storage. P. vannamei was found to have slightly random insignificant changes in texture. However, the colour changes were slowly decreased especially in P. vannamei coated with 2.0% betel leaves extract and supported by sensory evaluation for consumer acceptance. P. vannamei coated with 2.0% betel leaves extract resulted in a significantly lower (p < 0.05) hardness (20646.11 ± 480.10 N) compared to others on the initial day and showed a slightly decreasing trend during storage but not significantly (p > 0.05). After 12 days of chilled storage, P. vannamei coated with 2.0% betel leaf extract showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in springiness from 0.53 ± 0.15% at the initial day to 0.63 ± 0.06% at the end of storage day, indicating a firmer texture. P. vannamei coated with 2.0% betel leaves extract had the highest cohesiveness (0.35 ± 0.05%) and resilience (0.58 ± 0.06) value on the initial day but not significantly different (p > 0.05). However, over time, cohesiveness and resilience values showed a decreasing trend, indicating that the shrimp became less cohesive and resilient with prolonged storage. The colour of the P. vannamei coated with 2.0% betel leaf extract recorded a lightness L* value of 29.23 ± 0.14; redness a* value of 0.37 ± 0.25; and blueness b* value of 5.12 ± 0.37 and significantly different (p < 0.05) compared to P. vannamei coated with 0.5%, and 1.0% betel leaves extract and 1.25% SMS throughout 16 days of chilled storage. The organoleptic test showed that P. vannamei coated with 2.0% betel leaf extract was highly accepted by consumers. Therefore, coating P. vannamei with a 2.0% concentration of betel leaf extract promises a significantly improved quality of P. vannamei at prolonged storage.