Effects of chitosan grafted phenolic acid coating on microbiological, physicochemical and protein changes of sea bass ( <i>Lateolabrax japonicus</i> ) during refrigerated storage

This project aimed to evaluate the effects of gallic acid (GA) and protocatechuic acid (PA) grafted onto chitosan (CS) on the improved quality of sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) during refrigerated storage. The incorporation of GA and PA onto CS (CS-g-GA and CS-g-PA) were achieved by the carbodiimide-mediated grafting procedure. Samples were treated with different solutions (deionized water [CK], 1% CS [m/v], 1% CS-g-GA [m/v], and 1% CS-g-PA [m/v]) for 10 min, which were then stored at 4 °C. Microbiological quality, including total viable counts (TVC), psychrophilic bacterial counts (PBC), Pseudomonas bacterial counts, and H₂ S-producing bacterial counts were measured. Physicochemical parameters, including pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, water holding capacity (WHC), and K value, were measured. The changes in protein characteristics, including sulfhydryl groups (SH), Ca²⁺ -ATPase activity, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and tertiary structure of protein were analyzed periodically, along with texture profile analysis (TPA). The results demonstrated that the CS copolymers treatment exhibited better preservation effects. The CS-g-GA and CS-g-PA treatments could significantly inhibit the growth of microorganisms and retard the increase of pH, TVB-N, TBA, WHC, and K-value during refrigerated storage compared with the CK and CS groups. Additionally, the CS-g-GA and CS-g-PA treatments could delay the protein oxidation by keeping a higher SH level and Ca²⁺ -ATPase activity. The CS copolymers treatment could also extend the shelf life for another 6 days compared with that of CK. As a result, CS copolymers can be employed in a promising method for the preservation of sea bass. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The incorporation of gallic acid and protocatechuic acid onto chitosan (CS-g-GA and CS-g-PA) showed superior antioxidant and antimicrobial activities when applied on sea bass. The CS-g-GA and CS-g-PA coatings could maintain the quality and freshness of refrigerated sea bass. Additionally, this research could provide a theoretical basis for the application of graft copolymers on the preservation of aquatic products.