Effect of the Combination of Vanillin and Chitosan Coating on the Microbial Diversity and Shelf-Life of Refrigerated Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) Filets

The effect of the combination of vanillin and chitosan (VC) coating on the microbiota composition and shelf-life of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) filets during a 15-day storage period at 4 ± 1°day was investigated in this study. The control and coated fish samples were analyzed periodically for sensory and chemical attributes [total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and pH] and the presence of dominant spoilage microbiota. The results suggested that the sensory and the chemical quality of turbot filets effectively improved after treatment with vanillin (final concentration 2 mg/ml) combined with 1% chitosan, and the shelf-life was prolonged for 6 to 7 days compared with the control group. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing showed that Proteobacteria (52.2%) and Firmicutes (29.8%) were the dominant bacteria at the phylum level in fresh turbot filets, while Pseudomonadaceae (40.2%) and Lactobacillaceae (39.4%) were the dominant bacteria at the family level in deteriorated turbot filets. However, after VC treatment, the relative abundance of Pseudomonadaceae and Lactobacillaceae decreased significantly due to the growth inhibition of potential bacteria, specifically spoilage bacteria, along with the rich bacterial diversity at the end of storage. Therefore, our data indicated that VC treatment might be effective in decreasing bacteria-induced quality deterioration and in extending the shelf-life of refrigerated turbot filets.