Prevention of melanosis in crustaceans by plant polyphenols: A review

Bacicgrourul: Crustaceans, especially shrimp, prawn, crab and lobster are economically important species with high market value because of their high demand. Nevertheless, crustaceans are perishable with a short shelf-life. It is prone to deterioration after capture, particularly during handling, processing and storage. Melanosis or black spot development in crustaceans is one of the most serious problems, causing the adverse impact on sensory properties and consumer acceptability. To conquer such a problematic deterioration, sulfiting agents and their derivatives are extensively applied as antimelanosis agent. Nevertheless, those chemicals mostly cause the allergy and severe disturbances for some asthmatic patients. As a consequence, the novel and safe alternatives from natural sources, especially plant polyphenols with anti-melanosis activity, can be used to maintain quality and prevent melanosis in crustaceans. Scope and approach This review coVers mechanism and factors affecting undesirable melanosis occurring in crustaceans mediated by polyphenoloxidase (PPO). This review also focuses on the recent findings on the new PPO inhibitors and their applications to control melanosis in crustaceans. The uses of plant polyphenols in combination with certain processing techniques are revisited. Key findings and conclusions: Plant polyphenols can serve as PPO and melanosis inhibitor in crustaceans. Plant polyphenols appear to be promising alternatives to sulfiting agents. Apart from serving as melanosis inhibitor, plant polyphenols possessing antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, can help reduce quality losses and maintain the prime quality and market value of crustaceans throughout the supply chain.