Quality enhancement in refrigerated red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) fillets using chitosan coatings containing natural preservatives

The present work was undertaken to examine the influence of grape seed extract (GS) and tea polyphenols (TP), as natural preservatives, combined with chitosan (Ch), on the quality of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) fillets during refrigerated storage. Two different treatments (Ch + GS and Ch + TP) and a control were prepared. The samples were stored (4 +/- 1 degrees C) for 20 days and the sampling was done at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 days. Microbiological, physicochemical and sensory attributes were periodically assessed. The results indicated that the two pretreatments could more effectively maintain quality and could extend the shelf life by 6-8 days compared with the control group during refrigerated storage. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.