Effect of Low-intensity Direct Current Electric Field on Microbial Inactivation of Litopenaeus vannamei and Its Storage Quality

In order to extend their storage life with low cost and high quality, the application of low-intensity direct current (DC) electric fields for the microbial inactivation of Litopenaeus vannamei were investigated in this study. By applying a constant electric field ranging from 0.2 A to 0.6 A (corresponding to electric field intensities 1.6 V/cm to 5.0 V/cm), the effects of the field on the microbial inactivation and storage quality of Litopenaeus vannamei were thoroughly examined. The findings indicated that treatment at 0.4 A (corresponding to electric field intensities 2.7 V/cm to 3.0 V/cm) for 20 minutes reduced the total viable count by 1.90 lg CFU/g, while maintaining a stable and controllable system temperature without significant changes in the sample's texture characteristics (P>0.05). The detection results during storage revealed that the electric field treatment not only inhibited the growth of microorganisms, but also significantly delayed (P<0.05) the deterioration in sensory scores, color difference, water-holding capacity, pH, volatile basic nitrogen, malondialdehyde content, texture, muscle tissue and protein-related characteristics of the shrimp, effectively inhibiting lipid oxidation, protein oxidation, and denaturation. A comprehensive analysis of the above changes in storage quality suggested that the electric field treatment could effectively extend the storage life of Litopenaeus vannamei from 4.5 days to 8.5 days. Therefore, this study provides a novel and effective approach for the microbial inactivation and preservation of aquatic products.