BACKGROUND
The Maillard reaction is a promising and safe method for obtaining chitooligosaccharide conjugates with proteins or peptides as food preservatives. This study aims to investigate the moisture state, physicochemical properties, and shelf‐life of sea bass fillets treated with ε‐polylysine (ε‐PL) and chitooligosaccharides (COS), which are Maillard reaction products (LC‐MRPs), during refrigerated storage.
RESULTS
The results of microbiological analysis and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) revealed that LC‐MRPs could retard microbial growth effectively. Compared with control, other treated groups could strongly retard the increase in the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, the K‐value and the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) value, and also inhibited the softening of texture and the accumulation of biogenic amines in fish. The results of low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF‐NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicate that LC‐MRPs could delay the water migration of fillets and increase water holding capacity (WHC). Through sensory evaluation, the application of LC‐MRPs increased the shelf‐life of refrigerated sea bass fillets for another 9 days.
CONCLUSION
Maillard reaction products derived from chitooligosaccharides and ε‐polylysine have strong potential for preserving sea bass. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.