The Effect of Chitosan Solutions with Different Molecular Weights on the Shelf Life of Tilapia Fillets (Oreochromis niloticus)

Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of the freshwater fish commodities consumed in Indonesia that has high economic value. Tilapia fillets are a food ingredient that is very easily damaged and has a very short shelf life due to the quality degradation process that occurs due to autolysis, enzymatic activity, fat oxidation, and microorganism activity. Chitosan is known to have good antibacterial properties because it contains lysozyme enzymes and aminopolysaccharide groups that can limit bacterial growth and inhibit bacterial efficiency. Chitosan has the potential to protect tilapia fillets as an edible coating. This article aims to produce good chitosan characteristics (including: molecular weight, viscosity, degree of deacetylation, yield, and solubility) to improve its antibacterial ability, as well as to analyze the effect of adding chitosan with different characteristics as an edible coating in inhibiting the decline in the quality of tilapia fillets during storage based on pH value and weight loss, as well as total plate count (TPC) according to the Indonesian National Standard, namely 5 x 105 cfu/g. The antibacterial properties of chitosan depend on its characteristics. Chitosan with a low molecular weight has better antibacterial properties because, in its application as an edible coating, chitosan with a low molecular weight is able to penetrate meat tissue and has high antibacterial properties. In conclusion, the application of chitosan to tilapia fillets can prevent the quality deterioration that occurs in tilapia fillets during storage. Tilapia fillets will also be protected from deterioration in quality characteristics such as pH, weight loss, and total microbial count.