Sodium alginate-potato starch coatings containing carbon dots/extract obtained from clove buds to extend the shelf-life of silver carp fillets

The objectives of this experiment were to investigate the possible utilization of the sodium alginate-potato starch (SA-PS) coatings enriched with carbon dots/extract derived from Syzygium aromaticum to improve the silver carp fillets’ shelf-life over 12 days at 4 ± 0.5 °C. The carbon dots were spherical in shape, well-dispersed, and presented a particle diameter in a quantum range of 2.94–7.82 nm (average diameter = 5.37 ± 1.36 nm). The inhibition zone diameters of SA-PS + S. aromaticum extract 2%, SA-PS + carbon dots 0.15%, and SA-PS + S. aromaticum extract 2% + carbon dots 0.15% coatings against Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , Escherichia coli , Yersinia enterocolitica , and Bacillus cereus were 12.65–16.84, 10.01–14.53, 7.77–10.34, 8.44–10.90, and 13.46–17.57 mm, respectively. The findings of the current experiment showed that total viable bacterial count, psychrotrophic bacterial count, lactic acid bacterial count, Enterobacteriaceae, pH, peroxide value, and total volatile nitrogen content of silver carp fillets coated with SA-PS + S. aromaticum extract 2% + carbon dots 0.15% as a best treatment group were 6.24 log CFU/g, 5.66 log CFU/g, 4.56 log CFU/g, 4.49 log CFU/g, 6.81, 0.6 meq peroxide/kg, and 23.85 mg N/100 g, respectively, after 12 days of refrigerated storage conditions.