Effect of Antioxidant-Rich Diets, Rearing, Harvesting, and Processing Conditions on Off-Odor Volatile Formation, Lipid Content, Fatty Acid Profile, and Antioxidant Activity in Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

Summary

This study examined how dietary supplementation with plant-based antioxidants (camu camu, wheat flour) influences both nutritional composition and oxidative stability in farmed yellow perch fillets across different post-harvest treatments. Camu camu- and wheat-fed fish exhibited significantly lower concentrations of lipid oxidation- and protein degradation-derived volatiles than control-fed fish, with these differences most pronounced under refrigerated storage and baking conditions. The findings suggest that antioxidant-enriched aquaculture diets can improve product quality and shelf-life stability in yellow perch.

Regional applicability

This research is conducted in the United States, where yellow perch is an established aquaculture species. Findings may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom aquaculture, where yellow perch is not widely cultivated; however, the methodology and principles regarding plant-based dietary antioxidants improving oxidative stability in farmed fish could inform breeding and husbandry practices for UK-farmed species such as trout and salmon.

Key measures

Off-odor volatiles (selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry), lipid content, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity, vitamin E content, fish weight

Outcomes reported

The study measured off-odor volatile formation, lipid content, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity, and vitamin E content in yellow perch fillets under different dietary and processing conditions. Fish fed plant-based antioxidant-rich diets (camu camu and wheat) showed lower lipid oxidation and protein degradation-derived volatiles compared to mixed starch and commercial diets, especially after refrigerated storage or baking.

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