Effect of a Sustained-Release Sheet Loaded with Basil Essential Oil on the Preservation of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

To address the issue that the exudate from fish accelerates the spoilage process, a sustained-release absorbent pad (BC-F/AP) was developed. This pad consisted of a chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) sheet containing a basil essential oil inclusion complex (BEO-IC) combined with an absorbent pad (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, the microbial count of BC-F/AP group (9.45 log CFU/g) was lower than the CK group (10.47 log CFU/g), and the cooking loss was reduced by 3.08%. At the same time, it significantly suppressed protein deterioration: TCA-soluble peptide content decreased by 1.39 µmol tyrosine/g, MFI by 46.82, surface hydrophobicity by 7.33 µg BPB/mg protein, and turbidity by 0.59. In vitro experiments by incubating exudate with MPs confirmed that the exudate accelerated the degradation and oxidation of MPs in decreasing protein content and intrinsic fluorescence intensity, and increasing surface hydrophobicity and particle size. In conclusion, the BC-F/AP group maintained the quality of the large yellow croaker and the integrity of MPs by absorbing exudate and sustained-releasing antibacterial and antioxidant activity.