Sodium alginate coating with propolis extends fish fillet shelf-life
What it found
Fish fillets coated with a sodium alginate bilayer containing green propolis extract were accepted by tasters, spoiled more slowly, and kept for up to 11 days in cold storage.
What they found
Studies in people
Sensory acceptance
Fillets with the sodium alginate bilayer coating had high sensory acceptance.
Animal and lab studies
Propolis extract activity
The green propolis extract showed promising antioxidant and antibacterial activity in lab tests.
Compounds in propolis
Twenty-seven compounds were found in the extract, mostly terpenoids at 52.14%. Cyclolaudenol was the main one and is reported for the first time in green propolis extracts.
Microbial spoilage
The coated fillets had less microbial deterioration.
Shelf-life
The coating extended the fillets' shelf-life by up to 11 days during cold storage.
What the authors conclude
“Taken together, these results show that GPE can be a great alternative of a natural preservative for fish coating.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the green propolis extract can be a great alternative as a natural preservative for fish coating.
How it was done
Fish spoilage causes economic losses and can be a hazard to human health. The authors wanted to see if a natural coating could help.
They made a two-layer sodium alginate coating with Brazilian green propolis extract and applied it to Colossoma macropomum fillets. They then checked the fillets' shelf-life, physical and chemical properties, microbes, and how tasters liked them during cold storage. They also studied the propolis extract itself.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study looked only at one type of fish fillet and one coating recipe.
- It does not show how the coating would work on other fish or foods.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Instituto de Química, Brazil
The paper
- Title
- A sodium alginate bilayer coating incorporated with green propolis extract as a powerful tool to extend Colossoma macropomum fillet shelf-life
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Cruz AIC, Costa MDC, Mafra JF, et al (2021). A sodium alginate bilayer coating incorporated with green propolis extract as a powerful tool to extend Colossoma macropomum fillet shelf-life. Food chemistry. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129610PubMed 33773460DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error