Abstract：In this study, plasma activated water (PAW)-gelatin coatings were prepared by incorporating PAW with different treatment times (5, 10 and 20 min) and gelatin. Fresh snakehead fillets were treated with the coatings and stored at 4 ℃ for up to 12 days. To investigate the effect of PAW-gelatin coatings on the physicochemical characteristics of snakehead fillets, changes in the pH, moisture content, water-holding capacity (WHC), color parameters, nitrosomyoglobin (MbNO) relative content, nitrite ion (NO2-) residue and sensory score were monitored during the storage period. The results demonstrated that PAW-gelatin coatings reduced the pH of snakehead fillets during the early stage of storage and maintained more stable pH values during the subsequent stages. Gelatin coating increased the moisture content of the fillets but significantly reduced the WHC from 79.48% to 68.66%. The incorporation of PAW (10 and 20 min) partially reversed the reduction in WHC. Active constituents in PAW promoted the formation of MbNO, improving the redness value of the fish fillets. The PAW treated for 20 min-gelatin coating increased the redness value from 14.21 to 23.93 and enhanced the sensory score. The maximum NO2- residue in the coated fillets was only 1.32 mg/kg, substantially lower than the limit stipulated by the Chinese national food safety standard. In conclusion, PAW-gelatin coatings could effectively improve the storage quality of snakehead fillets via various mechanisms such as regulating the stability of pH, water mobility and myoglobin color development.
2026, Vol. 40 
