Production of Oncorhynchus mykiss biosensor based on polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan nanocomposite using phycocyanin...

Smart packaging, also known as intelligent packaging, is responsive to external stimuli, moisture, light, oxygen, heat, pH, and bacterial growth. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol/nanochitosan/phycocyanin nanocomposite (PVA/NCH/PC-NC) for fish fillets of Oncorhynchus mykiss rainbow trout coating was prepared. Five treatments were prepared over a period of 14 days (0, 1, 7 and 14 days) under treatments of T₁: fish coated with PVA/NCH-NC without PC; T₂, T_3, T₄ and T₅ fish coated with PVA/NCH/PC-NC (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% PC respectively). Moreover, the results showed that higher concentrations of PC in PVA/NCH polymer matrix resulted in a net-like morphology on the film's surface. Also, after 21 days of storage, the T₄ treatment had the lowest levels of mesophilic, psychrophilic, and Enterobacteriaceae bacteria (8.17 ± 0.02, 7.90 ± 0.04, and 60.67 ± 0.02 log cfu/g, respectively). Additionally, it was seen that PVA/NCH/PC-NC improved the Sensory evaluation of fish fillet samples during 14 days of storage (p < 0.05). Overall, the results showed that the prepared PVA/NCH/PC-NC (2% PC) film function as an intelligent packaging solution in food preservation and freshness monitoring applications of Oncorhynchus mykiss fillet in terms of mechanical, microbial and sensorial evaluation.