Shelf-life enhancement of silver carp fillets using psyllium gum/sodium-alginate coatings incorporated with Heracleum persicum essential oil and CuO nanoparticles

In the present study, the effects of psyllium gum/sodium-alginate (PG/SA) coatings incorporated with Heracleum persicum essential oil (HEO) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) on various properties of silver carp fillets were investigated and monitored over 15 days of chilled storage condition (4 degrees C +/- 1). The control sample (uncoated), PG/SA with 3% CuO NPs, PG/SA with 1% HEO, and PG/SA with 3% CuO NPs and 1% HEO (PG/SA-HC) were examined through chemical, microbial, and sensory analysis. The results revealed that the PG/SA-HC sample after 15 days of refrigeration demonstrated a significantly lower value than the others for total viable counts (8.08 log CFU/g), total psychotropic counts (7.09 log CFU/g), Pseudomonas spp. counts (5.90 log CFU/g), 2-thiobarbituric acid (2.11 mg/kg), and total volatile basic nitrogen (21.31 mg/100 g), highlighting the potential synergistic effect of CuO NPs and HEO on enhancing the quality and shelf-life characteristics of the fillets. Furthermore, PG/SA coatings did not have any negative effects on the sensory attributes of the silver carp fillets. Finally, the addition of both HEO and CuO NPs in preparing PG/SA coatings provided a significantly improved coating material almost in all aspects.