Evaluation of the effect of chitosan loaded with Natamaycin nanoparticles, lysozyme and acetic acid on shelf life of Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) Caviar

Caviar is one of the most important export products of Iran's fisheries industry. Because of the unpasteurized nature of the process, it is very vulnerable to spoilage. This study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of chitosan, a natural antimicrobial substance which combined with other preservatives such as acetic acid, lysozyme and Natamycin (traditional and nanoparticles) to improve the caviar shelf life. The effect of chitosan coating was carefully studied within 150 days storage time at zero to -3° C in a standard situation. Both the caviar wrapped by chitosan treatments and the control sample were packed in commercial glass Jars. Microbiological¡ Chemical and sensory analyses were done during storage time according to the Iranian national standard. Total Viable Count of chitosan and chitosan with Natamycin 40 ppm coated caviar samples was observed to be increasing more slowly than control sample and reached 5 and 4.8 log10 CFU/g respectively on the 150th day of storage time, while the TVC of control sample reached about 5.3 log 10 CFU/g on the 60th day of the storage time. Results showed the effect of chitosan coating on caviar samples was to maintain their good quality characteristics and extend the shelf life of caviar significantly (p