Abstract:

The inhibitory effect of ferulic acid added at different levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg) to dry-cured perch
on the contents of N-nitrosamine and biogenic amines (BAs) was investigated during air-drying for 84 h at 15 ℃ with 80%–
90% relative humidity. The results showed that ferulic acid had a significant inhibitory effect on the formation of histamine
(HIS), putrescine (PUT), tyramine (TYR) and cadaverine (CAD), but increased spermidine (SPD) content. N-Dimethyl
nitrosamine (NDMA) content was significantly decreased by the addition of ferulic acid at a level lower than 150 mg/kg.
After 27 days of storage, the total number of colonies was 7.59 (lg(CFU/g)) in the control group, which was reduced by
28.20% as compared to 5.45 (lg(CFU/g)) in the 200 mg/kg ferulic acid group. These findings showed that adding ferulic
acid can significantly reduce the amount of BAs, total number of colonies, NDMA and nitrite residues (NaNO2) without
decreasing the sensory quality of dry-cured perch.

Key words: dry-cured perch, ferulic acid, N-nitrosamine, biogenic amines, inhibition effect