Effectiveness of Mulberry Fruit Infusa (Morus Alba L.) as a Natural Preservative for Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Background: Natural preservatives have been increasingly explored to replace synthetic ones due to their potential health risks. Red mulberry (Morus alba L.), rich in phenolic and antimicrobial compounds, served as an effective preservative for freshwater fish. Carp (Cyprinus carpio) is widely consumed in Indonesia and highly perishable under room temperature conditions. Methods: This study was conducted in July ۲۰۲۴ using a completely randomized design. A total of ۲۴ carp samples were divided into four treatment groups (۰%, ۱۵%, ۲۵%, and ۳۵% mulberry extract) with six replicates each and stored for ۱۲, ۲۴, and ۳۶ h at room temperature. The mulberry extract was prepared using an infusion method with aquadest in a ۱:۱ ratio. The quality of carp was evaluated through organoleptic testing with ۹-point hedonic scale, Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVB-N), protein level with Biuret method, pH test, and total microbial count using the Total Plate Count (TPC) method. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was applied due to the non-normal distribution of the data (p<۰.۰۰۵), and further analysis was conducted using a post-hoc test in IBM SPSS version ۲۶. Results: The ۱۵% extract concentration was the most effective in preserving the quality of carp across all parameters. After ۳۶ h of storage, the pH remained stable at ۶.۶۲, the total bacterial count was ۲.۳×۱۰⁵ Colony Forming Unit (CFU)/g, and the organoleptic score was maintained at ۵. Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVB-N) values ranged from ۶.۷۲ to ۱۷.۹۳ mg N/۱۰۰ g, and protein content remained between ۱۵.۵% and ۱۷.۸%, all within acceptable limits. Microbial growth and pH fluctuations were also better controlled compared to the other treatment groups. Conclusion: Statistical results confirmed that immersion of carp in ۱۵% red mulberry fruit extract effectively preserved freshness, nutritional quality, and microbiological safety of the fish during ۳۶ h of room temperature storage. DOI: ۱۰.۱۸۵۰۲/jfqhc.۱۲.۴.۲۰۴۰۸

کلیدواژه ها:

Fishes ، Food Preservation ، Mulberry ، Carp