Cowpea 11S globulin spray quadruples shrimp shelf-life and maintains freshness

Keywords Shrimp preservation is of interest to food scientists and processors because of their restricted shelf life caused by microbial spoilage, black spot formation, and the associated financial losses and food safety risks. Current study was conducted to determine the preservative impacts of Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) 11S globulin (CPEG) spray on tiger shrimp ( Penaeus monodon ) shelf-life and physicochemical characteristics, as well as optimum field preservative levels. Fresh peeled tiger shrimp were sprayed with either 100µg/ml (CPEG1) or 200µg/ml (CPEG2) of CPEG at a rate of 2 ml/100 gm and refrigerated at 2±0.5°C. The control shrimp received only sterile distilled water. After 12 storage days, CPEG2 sprayed shrimp displayed a steadily raising pH trend, reaching 7.3, whereas control and CPEG1 sprayed shrimp demonstrated a V-pH curve. Though was not entirely significant, but 200 µg/ml of CPEG spray improved shrimp WHC and drip loss attributes. Compared to the apparent increasing curves of control shrimp's native microbial curves, which culminated in clear spoiling on the eighth day, CPEG-treated shrimp at both doses did not exceed 6 log cfu/gm for the entire twelve-day chilling period. Also, both CPEG levels exhibited a significant antioxidant impact compared to the control. The retarding effect of CPEG on treated shrimp native microbial curves and malondialdehyde was dose dependent. Conclusively, both CPEG levels kept the fresh tiger shrimp's organoleptic aspects and postponed the spoilage beyond twelve-days. Therefore, the shrimp's shelf-life can potentially be extended while preserving its safety and quality by using the CPEG spray, which works best at 200 µg/ml.