THE IMPACT OF ELECTROLYZED WATER ON THE CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SALTED FISH (MOLOHA) AND ITS APPLICATION AS AN ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT AGAINST STAPH. AUREUS

REFAIE, RADWA RAMADAN; ABDEL-SALAM, MOHAMED; BLAL, LOBNA RABIE

doi:10.21608/avmj.2025.400761.1783

THE IMPACT OF ELECTROLYZED WATER ON THE CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SALTED FISH (MOLOHA) AND ITS APPLICATION AS AN ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT AGAINST STAPH. AUREUS

Document Type : Research article

Authors

¹ Certified Food Hygiene Lab., Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Egypt.

² Chemistry Department, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Egypt.

10.21608/avmj.2025.400761.1783

Abstract

This study examined the antibacterial effectiveness and sensory effects of electrolyzed water (EW) treatments on Staphylococcus aureus, experimentally inoculated in a traditionally salted fish (Moloha) in Egypt. A reference strain (ATCC 6538) was used to inoculate samples at 1.0 × 10⁴CFU/mL. Three groups were evaluated, G1 (rinsing with tap water), G2 (washing with EW), and G3 (dipping in EW for 15 minutes). EW was prepared through electrolysis of 0.2% NaCl solution, producing slightly acidic and alkaline types. Physicochemical properties (salt %, pH, and histamine levels) and microbiological counts were measured throughout a 30-day storage period. Initial S. aureus levels were considerably decreased by 95% (1.30 log) with G2 and G3 treatments. Throughout storage, G3 continuously kept bacterial levels lower than G2, reducing them by 97.35% on day 1 and 91.82% on day 4. Physicochemical analysis revealed stable salt levels (average 15.2%) and safe pH (average 5.9), while EW-treated samples had slightly lower histamine levels. Using a 10-point hedonic scale for sensory evaluation, it was found that EW treatments—particularly G3—significantly enhanced color, texture, and odour at all times. G3 samples maintained high sensory scores (>7), indicating excellent quality, while G1 and G2 showed declines after 15 days. Overall, EW showed greater antibacterial and sensory preservation effects, especially when dipping. According to the study, EW is a successful non-chemical method for improving the quality and safety of salted fish (Moloha).

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