Abstract:
Fish is a significant source of nutrition for many people globally. Many
consumers value this product since it is low-priced and the meat is easily
digested. However, the quality of fish degrades easily and rapidly due to
enzymatic activity, bacterial activity, and chemical oxidation. Concerns about the
health risks associated with using synthetic preservatives have drawn much
attention to natural active ingredients that may be able to prolong the shelf life of
fresh fish. Chitosan is one of the naturally occurring polymers a preservative to
prevent bacterial and oxidation in the fish. This review focused on the
effectiveness of chitosan as a preservative for fresh fish and its antioxidant and
antibacterial properties. The review also covers the effectiveness of combining
chitosan with other bioactive substances in reducing bacterial activity, protein
oxidation, and lipid oxidation during fresh fish storage. Chitosan can preserve the
freshness of fish during storage. Chitosan has excellent antimicrobial and
antioxidant properties. Numerous studies have demonstrated that chitosan's
antibacterial and antioxidant activities are directly proportional to its DD and
inversely proportional to its MW. However, there is currently insufficient data
concerning the relationship between the two features of chitosan and its capacity
to preserve fish quality during storage. Chitosan's capacity to keep the freshness
of fish can be enhanced by its combination with numerous other natural active
compounds. It is intriguing to investigate whether combining chitosan and other
natural active compounds is synergistic or additive.
