Damage inhibition during refrigerated storage of mackerel (Scomber scombrus) fillets by a presoaking in quince (Cydonia oblonga) polyphenolic extract

Summary The effect of quince (Cydonia oblongaMiller) polyphenolic extract on preserving mackerel (Scomber scombrus) fillets during refrigerated (4 °C) storage for 11 days was investigated. The quince extract, mainly consisted of procyanidin B dimer (50.8%) and hydroxycinnamic acids (36.62%), was found to quench 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radicals by nearly 59.3%. As deduced from the lower peroxide value of the fillet fat fraction and the inhibition of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances formation, the quince extract (8.9 ± 0.4 mg phenolics mL−1) was found to prevent fish oil from oxidative deterioration compared to control samples. Moreover, the extract was found to be active forin vitroinhibiting the growth of a range of food‐borne bacteria, includingVibrio fluvialis, a halophilic bacterium responsible for a relevant number of sporadic gastroenteritis attributed to contaminated seafood. The minimal inhibition and bactericide concentration (MIC, MBC) values were about 0.37–1.2 mg of polyphenols mL−1. In a second experiment, following cold smoking of fillets, sensory attributes firmness, astringency, acidity, colour and odour were analysed. The use of multivariate statistical methods (cluster analysis and principal component analysis) revealed no significant differences between samples pre‐treated and non‐pre‐treated (control) with the quince‐phenolic extract.