Effect of plasma-activated lactic acid on microbiota composition and quality of puffer fish (Takifugu obscurus) fillets during chilled storage

• Published in: Food Chemistry: X 2024-03, Vol.21, p.101129, Article 101129
• Main Authors: Sheng, Xiaowei, Yan, Longfei, Peng, Lanqing, Zhao, Luling, Dai, Fanwei, Chen, Feiping, Wang, Ling, Chen, Yulong, Ye, Mingqiang, Wang, Jin, Zhang, Jianhao, Raghavan, Vijaya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chilled storage; Microbiota composition; Plasma-activated lactic acid; Puffer Fish; Quality
• ISSN: 2590-1575; 2590-1575
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101129

•Plasma-activated lactic acid treatment reduced the growth of bacteria and retarded changes in physicochemical indicators.•Pseudomonas was the main spoilage bacteria in puffer fish fillets.•Plasma-activated lactic acid inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas, and thus changed the microbiota.•Plasma-activated lactic acid extended the shelf life of puffer fish fillets for 4 days at 4 °C.•Plasma-activated lactic acid could be considered as a potential method for fish fillet preservation. Fresh puffer fish (Takifugu obscurus) are susceptible to microbial contamination and have a very short shelf-life of chilled storage. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of plasma-activated lactic acid (PALA) on microbiota composition and quality attributes of puffer fish fillets during chilled storage. The results showed that PALA treatment effectively reduced the growth of bacteria and attenuated changes in physicochemical indicators (total volatile basic nitrogen, pH value, K value, and biogenic amines) of puffer fish fillets. Additionally, insignificant changes were observed in lipid oxidation during the first 8 days (p > 0.05). Illumina-MiSeq high-throughput sequencing revealed that PALA effectively inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas in puffer fish fillets and maintained the diverse characteristics of the microbial community. In combination with sensory analysis, PALA extended the shelf life of puffer fish fillets for 4 days, suggesting that PALA could be considered a potential fish fillet preservation method.