Bambang Piluharto

Biomaterial Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia

Ali Imron Bhaedowi

Biomaterial Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia

Dwi Indarti

Biomaterial Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia

Tinok Dwi Ananda

Biomaterial Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia

Marhamatul Khofifah

Biomaterial Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19184/cerimre.v9i1.60014

ABSTRACT 

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of chitosan nano-sized particles combined with liquid smoke in extending the shelf life while maintaining the quality of tuna fish fillets during 15 days of cold storage. Chitosan particles were successfully prepared using the ionic gelation technique, resulting in an average particle size of 699.3 nm and a zeta potential of +35.5 mV, indicating good colloidal stability. Five different treatments were applied to the tuna fish fillets: control, chitosan, chitosan nano-sized particles, chitosan/liquid smoke, and chitosan nano-sized particle/liquid smoke treatments. Physical appearance, pH, and Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVB-N) values were evaluated to determine fillet quality. The best results were obtained for the fillets treated with chitosan nano-sized particle/liquid smoke. This treatment effectively preserved the uniform reddish appearance of the meat by reducing myoglobin oxidation. In addition, the pH value remained low at 5.33 ± 0.004 after 15 days of storage, compared with 7.3 ± 0.004 in the control sample. Most importantly, this treatment showed the lowest increase in TVB-N content, reaching only 25.67 ± 0.66 mg N/100 g fish, which remained below the acceptable limit for consumption (<30 mg N/100 g).

Keywords: Chitosan nano-sized particles, liquid smoke, tuna fillets, cold storage, shelf-life extension.