Analysis of changes in low-salt conditioned grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets during refrigeration in terms of quality and protein stability

This study focused on the effect of tea polyphenols on the quality changes of low-salt grass carp cured products during refrigeration. The addition of tea polyphenols could be found to improve the color and texture of the cured grass carp products during the refrigeration process. The bacterial colonies (TVC) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content showed that the conditioned grass carp fillets had a high level of food safety. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) value of grass carp continued to rise with increasing refrigeration time, indicating that fat oxidation occurred in the grass carp cured products. The addition of tea polyphenols was found to inhibit protein oxidation and protect the protein structure of the low-salt conditioned grass carp fillets during refrigeration, as indicated by the indicators related to protein oxidation. This finding provides a new theoretical idea for grass carp processing and storage.