Abstract: The microbial community structure of crucian carp was studied by polymerase chain reaction-amplification and denaturing gradient gel electrophorsis (PCR-DGGE) during storage at 4 ℃. Meanwhile, in order to use it for the preservation of crucian carp, the antimicrobial effect of antimicrobial lipopeptide was evaluated through the determination of total bacterial counts, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), pH and thiobarbituric acid (TBA). The results showed that the microbial community of crucian carp was diverse during storage. Specifically, Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp. and Brochothrix thermosphacta were the main spoilage microorganisms, and Pseudomonas fluorescens was the dominant spoilage microorganism in the flesh of the fish, while Lactococcus raffinolactis, Comamonas sp. and Aeromonas sp. were the main spoilage microorganisms in the gill. These results also indicated that although the microbial community compositions in the flesh and gill of crucian carp were different, but they showed a similar trend during storage. On the other hand, the antimicrobial lipopeptide at different concentrations significantly inhibited the increase of total bacterial counts, TVB-N, pH and TBA. The lipopeptide at a concentration of 67 608 IU/mL extended the shelf-life of crucian carp by up to 6 days during storage at 4 ℃. All these findings demonstrated that the antimicrobial lipopeptide can significantly inhibit the growth of spoilage microorganisms in crucian carp, thus being a promising preservative.

Key words: crucian carp, spoilage bacteria, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), antimicrobial lipopeptide, preservation