Shelf-life enhancement of silver carp fillets using psyllium gum/sodium-alginate coatings incorporated with Heracleum persicum essential oil and CuO nanoparticles.

This article investigates the use of psyllium gum/sodium-alginate (PG/SA) edible coatings incorporated with Heracleum persicum essential oil (HEO) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) to extend the shelf-life of silver carp (Hypophthalmicthys molitrix) fillets during 15 days of chilled storage at 4 °C. The study found that the combined PG/SA coating with 1% HEO and 3% CuO NPs (PG/SA-HC) significantly improved chemical (pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid), microbial (total viable count, total psychrotrophic count, Pseudomonas spp.), and sensory properties compared to uncoated and singly coated samples. HEO demonstrated stronger antioxidant and antimicrobial effects than CuO NPs alone, while their combination yielded the most effective preservation without negatively affecting sensory attributes such as color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance. These findings suggest that PG/SA coatings enriched with HEO and CuO NPs offer a promising natural and biodegradable method to enhance the quality and shelf-life of silver carp fillets in food preservation.