COMBINED EFFECTS OF VACUUM PACKAGING AND MORINGA LEAF POWDER ON THE QUALITY AND STORABILITY OF NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus) PICKLE DURING STORAGE

Abstract

The phytochemical profile of moringa leaf and the combined effects of moringa leaf powder (MLP) with vacuum packaging on the biochemical, bacteriological and sensory attributes of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) pickle during storage at room temperature (25 ± 5 ℃) for a period of 42 days were investigated. There were four treatments, such as control 1 (untreated; air pack), control 2 (untreated; vacuum pack), treatment 1 (1% MLP with vacuum packaging) and treatment 2 (2% MLP with vacuum packaging). The HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS analysis showed the presence of several phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acids and quercetins in moringa leaf. During the storage period, MLP treated pickles exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) lower pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, free fatty acids, total viable count, and psychrotrophic bacterial count than the untreated pickles. Moreover, both MLP treated pickles had acceptable sensory characteristics up to 35 days of storage followed by control 2 (28 days) and control 1 (21 days) pickles. Findings of this research demonstrated that 1% MLP treated pickle with vacuum packaging delayed the quality deterioration and extended the shelf life for 14 and 7 days longer than control 1 and control 2, respectively during storage at room temperature. In conclusion, moringa leaf powder could be used as a natural additive of Nile tilapia pickles under vacuum packaging conditions to obtain better quality and storability during storage.