Effect of Organic Acid Treatments on the Lipid Oxidation and Fatty Acid Contents of Green Mussel (Perna viridis) Flesh Under Cold Storage

Abstract

Green mussels (Perna viridis), a marine bivalve, are found in Malaysia and other Asia-Pacific regions. Green mussels are subject to rapid post-harvest quality deterioration. They are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), making them more prone to lipid oxidation. Therefore, effective post-harvest treatments are critical in the preservation of green mussels. This study determined the effect of organic acid treatments on lipid oxidation and changes in fatty acid contents of green mussel flesh under cold storage. Green mussels were immersed in 1% organic acids, including lactic acid (LA), oxalic acid (OX), and tartaric acid (TA), for five minutes, either single-acid or combination-acid treatment, and cold-stored (4 ± 1 °C) for 20 days. Non-organic acid-treated mussels were used as the control. Results showed that lipid oxidation progressed during cold storage. The organic acid-treated mussels had significantly higher TBARS values, suggesting the treatments promoted lipid oxidation in green mussels, particularly in those with combination-acid treatment. Besides, the main fatty acid group in green mussel lipid was PUFA, constituting 116.33 mg/g of total fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids (SFA) accounted for 63.13 mg/g of total fatty acids. After 20 days of storage, the fatty acid contents (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids) significantly decreased (p<0.05). Organic acid treatments resulted in greater reductions in fatty acid contents of green mussels, particularly PUFA content. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis shows that the PUFA contents were negatively correlated with TBARS values, indicating the occurrence of lipid oxidation led to a reduction in PUFA content.