Effect of a sustained-release sheet loaded with basil essential oil on the preservation of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

To enhance basil essential oil (BEO) stability, a chitosan/sodium alginate-based sustained-release sheet loaded with BEO inclusion complexes (IC) was developed and integrated with a commercial absorbent pad (BC-F/AP). The effects of BC-F/AP on quality maintenance and myofibrillar protein (MP) stability in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) were investigated in comparison with the control (CK), commercial pad (AP), pure BEO, and BEO-IC. The findings showed that the BC-F/AP group suppressed the proliferation of psychrophilic bacteria in fish fillets and minimized cooking loss. On day 10, bacterial counts were approximately 1 log CFU/g lower, and cooking loss was 3.08% less compared to CK. According to experimental results, BC-F/AP group effectively maintained the structure and reduced the degradation and the oxidative aggregation degree of MPs of croaker during storage. The sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results indicated that the BC-F/AP group demonstrated the capability to protect the integrity of MPs. The in vitro incubation experiment involving exudate and MP_S revealed that the exudates accelerated the degradation, oxidative aggregation and surface hydrophobicity of MPs. The BC-F/AP group maintained the quality of the large yellow croaker and the integrity of MPs by absorbing exudate and continuously releasing antibacterial and antioxidant active substances.