Effects of mango and partridge tea extracts on microbial, physical, and chemical properties of tilapia fillets treated with in-package cold plasma during refrigerator storage

Objectives The effect of natural extracts on the oxidative quality of cold plasma (CP)-treated tilapia fillets during 9 d refrigerator storage was explored by adding mango and partridge tea extracts as natural antioxidants. Materials and Methods The effects of mango and partridge tea extracts on the fish during storage were evaluated using the total viable count (TVC), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), carbonyl values, and color. Results The results showed that on the ninth day, the TVC of the mango extract (ME)-CP group was 3.52 +/- 0.08 log colony-forming units/g, which was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of the other groups, while the TBARS of ME-CP and partridge tea extract (MOE)-CP was similar. The TVB-N values in the ME-CP and MOE-CP groups were 10.21 +/- 0.7 mg/100 g and 14.27 +/- 0.31 mg/100 g, respectively, which were within the acceptable values. The sulfhydryl and carbonyl contents in ME-CP were lower than those in MOE-CP; however, no significant variation was detected in texture. No significant changes were observed in the L* values among the treatment groups, while the b* values in the MOE-CP group were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions Therefore, the addition of ME combined with CP treatment can inhibit microbial growth, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation in tilapia fillets without significantly impacting their color.