Chemical, structural and antioxidant properties of melanoidins in fish sauce.

BACKGROUND: Melanoidins, as a functional component, exhibit antioxidant properties. However, the antioxidant mechanism of melanoidins in fish sauce remains poorly understood. The present study focused on the structural characteristics, microstructure and antioxidant activity of melanoidin substances in fish sauce. RESULTS: Ultrafiltration and color difference analysis were utilized to confirm the main molecular weight composition of melanoidins. The ultrafiltration component > 10 kDa in fish sauce exhibited the darkest and reddest color, along with the highest content of melanoidins (699.5 mg g-1). The spectral characteristics were consistent with typical melanoidins. Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed that the melanoidins contained a significant number of oxygen-containing groups, amino compounds, carbohydrates, aromatic compounds and carbonyl compounds (CO), pyrrole (CN), among others. In total, 129 alkanes, 71 esters, nine olefins and two alkynes were identified. The melanoidins (> 10 kDa component) had the strongest antioxidant activity, including a reducing power of 0.8, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity of 67.7% and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of 92.4%. Additionally, the melanoidins (> 10 kDa component) had the highest total phenolic content at 48.2 µg gallic acid equivalents mL-1. CONCLUSION: Melanoidins are important factors affecting the antioxidant activity of fish sauce. There were differences in the structural properties of melanoidin fractions with different molecular weights. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Elevated levels of branched chain fatty acids in low-salt fish sauce by co-fermentation: flavor improvement and metabolism analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traditional fish sauce products rely on relatively long fermentation time and high salt concentration, resulting in inconsistent quality and health risks. Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) are associated with nutritional benefits and health-care effects, mainly derived from food fermentation. This study aimed to screen BCFAs-producing bacteria with high protease and aminotransferase activity as starter cultures for fish sauce fermentation. RESULTS: The low-salt fish sauce products were obtained by co-fermentation with three chosen strains. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptides and amino acid nitrogen concentrations were higher in the co-fermentation group (FH group). The organoleptic evaluation showed co-fermentation optimized flavor composition and endured with rich taste. The levels of BCFAs and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) significantly increased by co-fermentation. Volatile metabolomics analysis indicated that BCFAs, branched-chain esters, and pyrazines were the key flavor compounds in the co-fermented group. CONCLUSION: The co-fermentation system with selected strains to ferment low-salt fish sauce has the potential to increase BCFA content and improve flavor and nutrition. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Regulation of microbial metabolism on the formation of characteristic flavor and quality formation in the traditional fish sauce during fermentation: a review.

Fish sauce is a special flavored condiment formed by traditional fermentation of low-value fish in coastal areas, which are consumed and produced in many parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia. In the process of fish sauce fermentation, the diversity of microbial flora and the complex metabolic reactions of microorganisms, especially lipid oxidation, carbohydrate fermentation and protein degradation, are accompanied by the formation of flavor substances. However, the precise reaction of microorganisms during the fersmentation process is difficult to accurately control in modern industrial production, which leads to the loss of traditional characteristic flavors in fermented fish sauces. This paper reviews the manufacturing processes, core microorganisms, metabolic characteristics and flavor formation mechanisms of fermented fish sauces at home and abroad. Various methods have been utilized to analyze and characterize the composition and function of microorganisms. Additionally, the potential safety issues of fermented fish sauces and their health benefits are also reviewed. Furthermore, some future directions and prospects of fermented fish sauces are also reviewed in this paper. By comprehensive understanding of this review, it is expected to address the challenges in the modern production of fish sauce thereby expanding its application in food or diet.

Removal of Histamine from Fish Sauce by Staphylococcus debuckii sp. Isolated from Fermented Fish.

Research background: One of the issues in the production of fish sauce is the legal constraints on the concentration of histamine produced by bacteria during fermentation because it causes allergic reactions in humans. The goal of this study is therefore to eliminate histamine from the final product after fermentation to enhance the quality of fish sauce for consumer safety, manufacturer exportability and domestic sales. Experimental approach: The bacteria that grow in the histamine medium were isolated from the salted fish. Their ability to degrade histamine in the media with high NaCl content was tested. The bacterium with the highest histamine-degrading ability was identified and the histamine-degrading conditions were optimized, including the incubation temperature and the amount of NaCl in the medium. The regression equation was generated and tested using the local fish sauce in which different concentrations of histamine were added. Results and conclusions: Among the five bacteria isolated from the salted fish, the isolate with the greatest ability to degrade histamine was identified as Staphylococcus debuckii sp. The study of the capacity of the isolated bacteria to degrade histamine using the synthetic histamine broth (pH=7.0, t=25 °C and NaCl 25 % (m/V)) indicated that they were able to degrade up to 56 % of histamine. The optimization analysis showed that increasing the pH of the medium to 7.5 and lowering the incubation temperature to 20 °C could improve the histamine removal from 56 to 73 %. The generated regression model, validated by the experimental results of histamine removal from fish sauce, showed an acceptable error (not more than 10 %). S. debuckii, the isolated histamine-degrading bacteria, could be used as an inoculum to reduce histamine accumulated in fish products. Novelty and scientific contribution: The microbiological technique developed here can decrease the histamine concentration in the final product, fish sauce, to improve its quality in terms of food safety and satisfy the histamine regulation requirement. The findings of this study can also be used to treat other liquid foods that contain high concentrations of histamine.

Dynamics of Bacterial Composition and Association with Quality Formation and Biogenic Amines Accumulation during Fish Sauce Spontaneous Fermentation.

High-throughput sequencing and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were used to investigate the influences of microbial dynamics on the quality and biogenic amine (BA) content during fish sauce fermentation. The homogeneity of total viable bacteria and lactic acid bacteria in fish sauce becomes higher as fermentation progresses. Tetragenococcus was the key genus of fish sauce fermentation. Carnobacterium (38.43%) and Lentibacillus (41.01%) were the dominant genera in the samples fermented for 3 months and 18 months, respectively. These three bacterial genera were significantly related to the physicochemical characteristics and characteristic flavors of the sauces. Tetragenococcus was significantly positively correlated with nitrogen oxides, the main characteristic flavor components in fish sauce. The BA content in fish sauce fermentation increased from 106.88 to 376.03 mg/kg, and the content of histamine reached 115.30 mg/kg at the end of fermentation, indicating that fish sauce has health risks. About 66.67% of Lentibacillus isolates were able to produce a large amount of BA, suggesting that Lentibacillus was the key genus for BA accumulation in fish sauce fermentation. Research on reducing the content of BA in fish sauce by intervening with regard to the fermentation temperature showed that a safe fish sauce product could be obtained at the fermentation temperature of about 25°C. These results help us to understand the contribution of microbial community composition to fish sauce fermentation and provide a basis for improving the quality and safety of fermented fish sauce. IMPORTANCE Traditional fermentation of fish sauce is mainly carried out by complex microbial communities from raw anchovies and processing environments. However, it is still unclear how the environmental microbiota influences the quality and the safety of fish sauce products. Therefore, this study comprehensively explained the influence of microorganisms on the quality and safety of fish sauce during the fermentation process in terms of physicochemical characters, flavors, and BA. Additionally, the accumulation of BA in fish sauce fermentation was controlled by intervening in the fermentation temperature. This finding contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of environmental microbiota during fermentation and provides data support for improving the safety of fish sauce.

The functional starter and its genomic insight for histamine degradation in fish sauce.

Histamine is a biogenic amine significantly formed in fish sauce leading to a major concern in consumers. This study aimed to identify a halophilic bacterium for histamine degradation in fish sauce, and understand its genomic insight to enhance histamine degradation activity. We discovered the novel halophilic bacterium, Bacillus piscicola FBU1786, degrading histamine and other biogenic amines. Its histamine breakdown was growth-associated in a wide range of NaCl concentrations, pH, and temperature from 4% to 18%, 6.0 to 9.0, and 30 to 45 °C, respectively. Genome sequencing revealed the presence of Cu2+-binding oxidase-encoding genes and their heterologous expression with Cu2+ supplementation triggered histamine degradation in E. coli. The degree of histamine breakdown in B. piscicola FBU1786 could be enhanced by Cu2+ addition. Histamine degradation of the culture was evaluated in raw fish sauce mixtures to partially mimic the condition during fish sauce fermentation. Histamine degradation was suppressed to the extent of raw fish sauce, but could be restored by Cu2+ supplementation. Together, this study disclosed B. piscicola FBU1786 with the potent histamine degradation activity, identified Cu2+-binding oxidases responsible for histamine breakdown, and enhanced histamine degradation of the culture using Cu2+ supplementation.

Physicochemical characteristics and flavor profiles of fermented fish sauce (budu) during fermentation in commercial manufacturing plant.

This study was done by dynamically monitoring the changes in bacterial composition, physicochemical characteristics, and volatile substances during fermentation of fermented fish sauce (budu). The degree of hydrolysis, TCA-soluble peptides, and nitrogen contents increased as the fermentation time progressed. A continuous decrease in peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was noted over 60 days of fermentation. A total of 44 volatile compounds were detected, and increases in volatile compounds, such as 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde, and 2-ethyl furan, with low odor thresholds values, might contribute to budu's flavor of the final product. Additionally, the relationship between evolving microbiota and the formation of flavor compounds was analyzed, and halophilic lactic acid bacteria was identified to be the most important bacterial contributing to flavor and aroma development. This finding will provide important information for improving the quality of budu in terms of flavor characteristics.

[Effect of Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce for Nitrite Determination in Meat Products].

The diazotization method is used for nitrite determination in meat products. In this method, it is known that the presence of reducing substances such as ascorbic acid and cysteine in the sample interferes with nitrite determination. We speculated that soy sauce, fish sauce and mirin, which are used in meat products, might be the reducing substances, so investigated meat products which contain soy sauce and other ingredients. The results showed that quantitative disturbance was observed in soy sauce and fish sauce, and the recovery in spiked samples of these products decreased in proportion to the increase in soy sauce and fish sauce content. However the antioxidant of soy sauce and fish sauce depending on manufacturing methods, so quantitative disturbance dose not be observed each time, so nitrite determination in meat products, and to conduct simultaneous determination using different sample amounts to confirm whether there is any difference in the quantitative values.

Volatile compounds, physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Colatura di Alici, a traditional Italian fish sauce.

BACKGROUND: The present study reports for the first time the physical, chemical and sensory characterization of a traditional fish sauce from Italy, called 'Colatura di Alici', which is considered to be the direct descendant of the ancient roman sauce 'Garum'. RESULTS: Among the volatile compounds, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, sulphuric compounds and pyrazines were identified. The most abundant compounds identified were 3-methyl-butanoic acid, nonanal and 3-methyl-butanal. The sample A had the highest amount of volatile fatty acids (>250 µg kg-1 ) and sample B had the highest concentration of aldehydes (>80 µg kg-1 ). These volatile compounds arise from the long fermentation activity and oxidation of fatty acids of the fish flesh and are responsible for the strong cheesy and fishy aroma. The protein content ranged from 90 to 130 g kg-1 , and the soluble solids ranged from 30 to 38 °Brix, as a result of the high amount of NaCl used during processing. The sensory analysis showed a great intensity for the cheesy, fishy and umami attributes, and a medium intensity for the roasted and meaty attributes. CONCLUSION: For the first time, the volatile compounds and sensory characteristics of this traditional fish sauce are reported. The samples differ in terms of sensory and aromatic profiles. These differences are probably linked to the poorly standardized methods used in the production process. Overall, the results of the present study could be used by local fish sauce producers to monitor the quality of the product and to improve the production process. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Household Consumption of Thiamin-Fortified Fish Sauce Increases Erythrocyte Thiamin Concentrations among Rural Cambodian Women and Their Children Younger Than 5 Years of Age: A Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether ad libitum consumption of thiamin-fortified fish sauce over 6 months yields higher erythrocyte thiamin diphosphate concentrations (eTDP) among women of childbearing age and their children aged 12-59 months compared with control sauce containing no thiamin. STUDY DESIGN: In this double-blind, randomized controlled efficacy trial, 276 nonpregnant, nonlactating women (18-45 years of age) and their families in Prey Veng, Cambodia, were randomized to receive 1 of 3 fish sauce formulations: low thiamin concentration (low, 2 g/L), high thiamin concentration (high, 8 g/L), or a control (no thiamin) fish sauce. Baseline (t = 0) and endline (t = 6 months) eTDP were measured with the use of high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. RESULTS: Fish sauce consumption did not differ between treatment groups (P = .19). In intent-to-treat analysis, women's baseline-adjusted endline eTDP (mean; 95% CI) was higher among women in the low (259; 245-274 nmol/L) and high (257; 237-276 nmol/L) groups compared with control (184; 169-198 nmol/L; P < .001); low and high groups did not differ (P = .83). Similarly, children's baseline-adjusted eTDP was higher in the low (259; 246-271 nmol/L) and high (257; 243-270 nmol/L) groups compared with control (213; 202-224 nmol/L; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Fortified fish sauce appears to be an efficacious means of improving biochemical thiamin status in nonpregnant, nonlactating women and their children (1-5 years of age) living in rural Cambodia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02221063.