Abstract: The effect of antioxidant from bamboo leaves (AOB) combined with different packaging strategies on the preservation of fresh tilapia fillets was evaluated in this study by examining the changes in sensory quality, total aerobic counts, drip loss, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) during storage. It was shown that AOB had good antimicrobial and antioxidant effects on fresh tilapia fillets. The shelf life of tilapia fillets treated with 0.1 g/100 mL AOB was prolonged by 4–6 days when compared with the control group. Microbial growth was inhibited by AOB combined with vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging, which could reduce the TVB-N and TBA values, decelerate the decrease in the sensory quality and prolong the shelf-life. Freshness indexes under ice storage conditions were significantly better than under cold storage conditions. Compared with the control group, 0.1 g/100 mL AOB treatment combined with vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging could better preserve the quality of fresh tilapia fillets, increasing the shelf life up to 18 days under ice storage conditions. These results suggested that AOB combined with vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging will have a great potential in the preservation of fresh tilapia fillets.

Key words: fresh tilapia fillets, antioxidant of bamboo leaves (AOB), modified atmosphere, ice storage, shelf life, vacuum, preservation