Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of corn zein edible film (Z) fortified with dill leaves extract (DE) and encapsulated dill essential oil with β-cyclodextrin (nDEO) on the quality of refrigerated common carp fillet. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed that the most frequent substances of DEO were apiol (35.1%) and carvone (31.4%), respectively. Designated treatments were as follows: (1) Control (C), (2) Z, (3) Z-DE, (4) Z-DEO, (5) Z-nDEO, (6) Z-DE-DEO, and (7) Z-DE-nDEO. The physicochemical properties (thickness, moisture percent, tensile strength, elongation at break, Young's modulus, color, morphology, functional groups, and thermal resistance) of the activated films significantly improved (p ≤ .05). The total viable counts, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and psychrotrophic bacteria significantly decreased in all wrapped fillets compared to the unwrapped ones (p ≤ .05). Throughout storage period, the wrapped fillets exhibited lower changes in pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and total volatile-based nitrogen values than the unwrapped fillets. According to the sensory findings, incorporating DE and nDEO in the zein films created significantly desirable aroma and flavor in the wrapped samples during storage time (p ≤ .05). Encapsulation of DEO with β-cyclodextrin significantly fortified preservative effects of the films in fish fillets during storage period (p ≤ .05). In conclusion, the designated composite zein edible film containing DE and nDEO can be introduced as an active edible packaging in the shelf life improvement of common carp fillets during cold storage.