Shelf-life of loricariid catfish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus [Weber, 1991]) roe stored in ice

Abstract Loricariid catfish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus [Weber, 1991]) has invaded water catchments throughout the world, due to the lack of predators and high fecundity. An approach to control its population could be using its roe as food; however, more knowledge is needed. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the shelf-life of fresh loricariid catfish roe stored in ice, as an approach for possible food utilisation. Physicochemical characteristics (moisture content, aw, pH, hardness, and colour), protein electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), amino and fatty acid contents, oxidative stability (TBARS) and microbiology of roe were analysed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 11, 15 and 21 days. Moisture content (58.5 ± 2.1 vs. 60.4 ± 1.2%), aw (0.89) and pH (5.87 ± 0.14 vs. 5.96 ± 0.03) were shelf-stable (initial vs. final day, respectively). SDS-PAGE showed minor hydrolysis of its protein. Ice storage increased roe free amino acid concentration, confirming proteolysis of its proteins/peptides with not impact on the fatty acid content and TBARS (2.4–3.3 mg malonadehyde/kg sample). Thus, ice storage of fresh loricariid catfish (P. disjunctivus [Weber, 1991]) roe, under the study conditions, proved to be an effective preservation method for its food utilisation, maintaining its physicochemical and microbiological characteristics for up to 20 days.