Effects of Chitosan Coatings Enriched with Different Antioxidants on Preservation of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) During Cold Storage

To investigate the effects of chitosan composite coatings for maintaining the quality of grass carp portions, indictors of microbiology (total bacteria count, TBC), chemistry (pH; total volatile basic nitrogen, TVB-N; 2-thiobarbituric acid, TBA; K-value), and sensory characteristics were analyzed periodically. The results showed that chitosan (1.5%, w/v) + acetic acid (1.0%, v/v) + tea polyphenol (TP, 0.5%, w/v) coating significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced growth of microorganisms as reflected in TBC, lipid oxidation as displayed in TBA, chemical spoilage as reflected in pH, TVB-N, K-value, and sensory characteristic scores compared to the control samples. The effect of chitosan (1.5%, w/v) + acetic acid (1.0%, v/v) + vitamin C (VC, 0.5%, w/v) coating was better than chitosan (1.5%, w/v) + acetic acid (1.0%, v/v) coating. Chitosan together with acetic acid and TP can be used as a type of preservative coating for grass carp portions under chilled storage.