What does this research mean for the field?

Treatment with coriander and thyme essential oils, particularly thyme oil at 1.0 mL, significantly delays microbial growth and extends the refrigerated shelf-life of frozen-thawed sea bream by up to four days. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to explore how coriander and thyme oils impact the microbiological quality and sensory attributes of refrigerated sea bream.

June 6, 2026Open Access

Investigation of the microbiological and sensory effects of coriander and thyme oils on sea bream: modeling and optimization of oil treatments using response surface methodology

Key Points

This research aims to explore how coriander and thyme oils impact the microbiological quality and sensory attributes of refrigerated sea bream.
Frozen-thawed sea bream were treated with varying concentrations of coriander and thyme oils.
Microbial analyses monitored total mesophilic aerobic bacteria using the pour plate method at one-day intervals.
Statistical models assessed the influence of oil concentration and storage time on microbial load.
Thyme oil (1.0 mL) significantly reduced TMAB counts, with the lowest count being 1.7254 log CFU/g on day 1.
Control and 0.5 mL coriander oil exceeded the TMAB limit on day 5; 0.5 mL thyme oil and 1.0 mL coriander on day 7.
Models showed strong predictive capability for TMAB (R² 95.71%) and psychrophilic bacteria (R² 93.85%).

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the microbiological and sensory effects of coriander ( Coriandrum sativum ) and thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ) oils on frozen-thawed sea bream ( Sparus aurata ) during refrigerated storage. Fish were frozen at −20 °C for one month and subsequently thawed at 4 °C for 24 h prior to processing. After thawing, the fish were eviscerated and treated with different volumes of coriander and thyme oils. Treated samples were stored at 4 °C for 12 days, and both sensory and microbiological analyses were performed at one-day intervals using the pour plate method to monitor changes in microbial quality throughout storage. Among the treatments, thyme oil at 1.0 mL showed the strongest inhibitory potential, significantly reducing the total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) count. The lowest TMAB count (1.7254 log CFU/g) was observed on day 1. Although TMAB count increased progressively during refrigerated storage, essential oil treatments generally delayed microbial growth and extended the shelf-life of the fish compared with the untreated control. The control group and the treatment with 0.5 mL coriander oil (group 1) exceeded the microbiological consumption limit for TMAB (7.0 log CFU/g) on day 5. In comparison, treatments with 0.5 mL thyme oil (group 2) and 1.0 mL coriander oil (group 3) reached this limit on day 7. Meanwhile, samples treated with 1.0 mL thyme oil (group 4), 0.5 mL coriander + 1.0 mL thyme (group 5), and 1.0 mL coriander + 0.5 mL thyme (group 6) exceeded the limit on day 9. Statistical analysis indicated that thyme oil concentration, storage time, and their interaction significantly influenced microbial load (p < 0.05). The developed models demonstrated strong predictive capability, with adjusted R 2 values of 95.71 % for TMAB and 93.85 % for psychrophilic bacteria (PB) count, providing a reliable framework for predicting shelf-life extension in treated sea bream during refrigerated storage.

Investigation of the microbiological and sensory effects of coriander and thyme oils on sea bream: modeling and optimization of oil treatments using response surface methodology

Key Points

Abstract

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