Application of tea tree oil nanoemulsion pads in Lateolabrax japonicas fillets

To improve the efficiency of biological preservatives, a novel slow-release system was constructed. The oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions were prepared with tea tree essential oil (TTO) and its main components, 1,8-cineole (CN) and terpinen-4-oil (T4O) as core materials, and with tea saponin as surfactant. The preservation properties of the pad containing nanoemulsion slow-release system on Lateolabrax japonicus fillets were measured. The results showed that the nanoemulsion had good stability and can delay the release of essential oil, and the cumulative release percentage of TTO was as high as 81 % at 72 h. The establishment of nanoemulsions slow-release system effectively improved the preservation properties of the pad, and TTO nanoemulsion pad (TTO-NE-P) had the optimal preservation properties due to the synergistic effect of preservative ingredients and the sustained release system of the nanoemulsion. This study can provide technical support for the combined application of biological preservative agent and aquatic product pads.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-024-01812-9.