International Center of Excellence in Seafood Science and Innovation-PSU

📢Research article update📢

We are excited to share our latest publication on Effects of Aloe Vera and Guava Leaf Extract on Threadfin Bream Surimi Gel: Physicochemical, Textural and Rheological Properties.

💐Congratulations to Staphny Snowy Dsouza and co-authors on this outstanding achievement! 💐

This study evaluates the individual and combined effects of dechlorophyllized guava leaf extract (DGLE), a polyphenol-rich extract, and aloe vera powder (AVP), an acemannan-rich polysaccharide, on the physicochemical, textural, and rheological properties of threadfin bream (Nemipterus spp.) surimi gel. LC-MS/MS-QTOF profiling tentatively identified 12 phenolic compounds in DGLE, including ellagic acid, catechins, quercetin glycosides, and EGCG.

Surimi gels incorporated with 0.2% AVP and 0.05% DGLE individually achieved the highest breaking force and deformation with the lowest expressible moisture content. However, whiteness declined with increasing concentrations of DGLE. SDS-PAGE and FTIR analyses confirmed polyphenol-protein interaction and acemannan-gel network association. Gel with 0.2% AVP alone showed the highest hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and elevated G′, while 0.05% DGLE alone yielded the highest springiness and cohesiveness, consistent with dense cross-linking observed in SEM. Combining AVP with DGLE produced a reduced gel-strengthening effect compared to either additive alone, especially at increasing DGLE concentrations.

Therefore, DGLE alone at 0.05% was identified as the most effective natural additive for improving threadfin bream surimi gel properties. 🐟🧪

Published under the title:
Effects of Aloe Vera and Guava Leaf Extract on Threadfin Bream Surimi Gel: Physicochemical, Textural and Rheological Properties

Journal: Gels (Impact factor: 6.4, Q1)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12080728

**📢Research article update📢**

We are excited to share our latest publication on Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Quillaja saponin and its impact in enhancing storage stability and microbiome modulation of refrigerated surimi gels.

🎉Congratulations to Sobiya Murugesan and co-authors on this outstanding achievement! 🎉

This study evaluates the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Quillaja saponin and its effectiveness in enhancing the shelf life of surimi gels during refrigerated storage. Based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and bactericidal concentration studies, saponin exhibited a bactericidal effect against both spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Time-kill assays confirmed that microbial inactivation was concentration- and time-dependent, while scanning electron microscopic images revealed that saponin, at 2 × MIC, induced morphological changes and pore formation in bacterial cells, leading to cell death. Saponin also exhibited antioxidant activity when tested by multiple in-vitro assays.

Surimi gels supplemented with two selected concentrations of saponin (1%-SPN1 and 2.5%-SPN2.5) were prepared and stored at 4 °C. The SPN2.5 sample maintained total viable counts within acceptable limits up to day 15, compared to day 12 for the control and SPN1. Both SPN1 and SPN2.5 samples also exhibited significantly lower peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, indicating enhanced oxidative stability. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed that psychrotrophic spoilage bacteria were dominant in the control sample, whereas the SPN2.5 sample had a lower relative abundance of spoilage-associated microbial taxa and overall diversity.

Therefore, incorporating saponin into surimi gel effectively delayed microbial growth and reduced lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage.

📖 Published under the title:
Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Quillaja saponin and its impact in enhancing storage stability and microbiome modulation of refrigerated surimi gels
Journal: Applied Food Research (Impact factor: 5.4, Q1)
🔗 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2026.102434

📢 Review Article Update 📢

We are excited to share our latest review publication on crustacean processing by-products as sustainable sources of high-value bioactive compounds and the latest extraction technologies for their recovery.

💐 Congratulations to Akanksha R. Gautam and co-authors on this outstanding achievement! 💐

This comprehensive review highlights the immense potential of crustacean processing by-products including shrimp, crab, and lobster shells, heads, and exoskeletons as valuable resources for recovering bioactive compounds while addressing environmental challenges associated with seafood processing waste. The review provides a comparative evaluation of both conventional extraction methods and emerging green technologies for efficient and sustainable bioactive recovery.

The review discusses the extraction of high-value compounds such as chitin, proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, minerals, enzymes, and enzyme inhibitors, emphasizing their significant potential in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biomedical, and environmental sectors. It critically compares conventional techniques, including acid–alkali treatment and solvent extraction, with advanced sustainable approaches such as supercritical fluid extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasound-assisted extraction, cold plasma, microwave-assisted extraction, and high-pressure processing, highlighting their extraction efficiency, sustainability, and impact on the quality of recovered compounds.

Furthermore, the review explores the diverse applications of these bioactive constituents in food preservation, nutraceutical development, biodegradable packaging, and functional food ingredient formulation. It also provides valuable insights into current challenges related to process optimization, industrial scalability, economic feasibility, and environmental sustainability, while identifying future research directions for the effective valorization of crustacean processing waste.

This work highlights the remarkable potential of crustacean by-products as sustainable bioresources, demonstrating how innovative green extraction technologies can transform seafood processing waste into high-value functional ingredients, supporting the development of a circular bioeconomy and sustainable food systems.

Published under the title:
Crustacean Processing By-Products as Sustainable Sources of Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Review of Conventional and Emerging Extraction Technologies and Applications

Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Impact Factor: 5.6, Q1)
DOI: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/15/6959

📢 Research Article Update 📢

We are excited to share our latest publication on seaweed-derived carbon dots and their multifunctional bioactivities for improving the oxidative stability and shelf life of Pacific white shrimp during refrigerated storage.

💐 Congratulations to Harisankar Kunnamkulathil Chandrababu and co-authors on this outstanding achievement! 💐

This study explored the green synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) from six seaweed species Gracilaria salicornia, Halymenia dilatata, Sargassum polycystum, Spatoglossum asperum, Ulva lactuca, and Caulerpa peltata using a hydrothermal process. The synthesized CDs were comprehensively characterized and evaluated for their structural, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, UV-blocking, and cytocompatibility properties.

The results demonstrated that all CDs possessed spherical morphology with particle sizes below 10 nm and abundant surface functional groups. Ulva lactuca-derived CDs exhibited the strongest UV-A blocking ability, while Halymenia dilatata-derived CDs showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant activities. Spatoglossum asperum-derived CDs displayed the greatest ABTS radical scavenging activity, whereas Halymenia dilatata-derived CDs showed effective antifungal activity against both Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Although all CDs inhibited the growth of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria, their antibacterial activity was moderate due to relatively high MIC values. Importantly, all CDs maintained more than 80% viability of normal BJ cells at concentrations up to 500 mg/L, indicating good biocompatibility.

Notably, incorporating 500 ppm of Spatoglossum asperum-derived CDs into peeled and deveined Pacific white shrimp significantly delayed lipid oxidation during 10 days of refrigerated storage. The treated shrimp exhibited lower peroxide value (PV) and TBARS, along with greater retention of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) compared with both the control and ascorbic acid-treated samples. Heat map and principal component analyses further confirmed that lipid oxidation was strongly influenced by both the type of carbon dots and storage duration.

This work highlights the remarkable potential of seaweed-derived carbon dots as sustainable multifunctional nanomaterials with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and preservative properties, providing a promising natural strategy for extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of refrigerated seafood.

Published under the title:
Carbon Dots from Seaweed Biomass: Characteristics, Bioactivities and Retardation of Lipid Oxidation in Pacific White Shrimp During Refrigerated Storage

Journal: Foods (Impact Factor: 6.0, Q1)
DOI: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/15/15/2636

🎉 Congratulations, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jirakrit Saetang! 🎉

We are proud to celebrate your promotion to Associate Professor! Your dedication to advancing seafood science and your valuable contributions to research at ICE-SSI have truly made a lasting impact.

Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement, and we look forward to your continued success and leadership in academia! 👏

--Research article update--
We are excited to share our latest publication on Fava bean protein hydrolysate improving gel quality and freeze–thaw stability of threadfin bream surimi gel.
💐Congratulations to Erlita Kirana Paramastri and co-authors on this outstanding achievement!💐

This study investigates fava bean (Vicia faba L.) protein hydrolysates (FBPH) produced at two degrees of hydrolysis (DH 20% and 30%, referred to as FB-20 and FB-30) using alcalase, evaluating their antioxidant, cryoprotective, and gel-enhancing properties in threadfin bream surimi.
The results demonstrate that FB-30 exhibited higher antioxidant activity than FB-20, along with greater cryoprotective potential, as shown by improved thermal properties and higher Candida rugosa survival during freeze–thaw cycles in a yeast cell model. Peptide profiling identified dominant peptides of 16.01, 2.49, and 0.14 kDa, with FB-30 containing higher polar and non-essential amino acid content than FB-20.
Notably, incorporating 2% FBPH into surimi gel resulted in the highest breaking force (429.9 g) and deformation (1.08 cm), along with the lowest expressible moisture (4.67%), while rheological and microstructural analyses revealed a more elastic and denser gel network. After freeze–thaw cycling, gels with 2% FB-30 showed fewer ice crystals and lower lipid oxidation, despite a slight decrease in whiteness.

This work highlights the remarkable potential of fava bean protein hydrolysates as a natural additive with antioxidant, gelling, and cryoprotective properties, offering a promising strategy for enhancing surimi gel quality and stability under frozen storage conditions.

Published under the title:
Fava bean protein hydrolysate improves gel quality and freeze–thaw stability of threadfin bream surimi gel
Journal: Future Foods (Impact factor: 6.6, Q1)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2026.101127

🎓 Welcome 🎉
We are delighted to welcome our Ph.D. exchange student, Ms. Iswarya Karuppannan, to the International Center of Excellence in Seafood Science and Innovation (ICE-SSI), Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, under the "Ph.D. Student Exchange Program, Fiscal Year 2026."
She specializes in fish processing, by-product development, food microbiology, and fish quality and safety assurance. She holds a Master's degree in Fish Processing Technology with a specialization in Food Microbiology, with her master's research entitled "De novo Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonella Montevideo Isolated from Cultured Shrimp on Exposure to Water Quality Stressors." She is currently pursuing her doctoral program in Fish Quality Assurance and Management at the Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi, India, with her current research focused on developing a quality and safety assurance framework for zero-waste jellyfish processing and the valorization of jellyfish.
With her strong research interests, we look forward to her research contributions and active participation in the academic community at ICE-SSI.
We are proud to have you with us and wish you great success, meaningful discoveries, and a rewarding journey at Prince of Songkla University.
🌟🌟 Once again, welcome aboard, Ms. Iswarya Karuppannan! 🎉🌸

🎓 Welcome 🎉
We are delighted to welcome our Master's student, Ms. Lorencia Permata Tjahyadi, to the International Center of Excellence in Seafood Science and Innovation (ICE-SSI), Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, under the "Fast-Track Program".
Her prior research focused on the evaluation of rejected chickens using the Seven Quality Control Tools method for carcass temperature control in the drum chilling process at PT Ciomas Adisatwa (JAPFA).
With her strong research background, we look forward to her research contributions and active participation in the academic community at ICE-SSI.
We are proud to have you with us and wish you great success, meaningful discoveries, and a rewarding journey at Prince of Songkla University.
🌟🌟 Once again, welcome aboard, Ms. Lorencia Permata Tjahyadi! 🎉🌸

🎓 Welcome 🎉
We are delighted to welcome our newest Ph.D. scholar, Mr. Krishan Kumar Yadav, to the International Center of Excellence in Seafood Science and Innovation (ICE-SSI), Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, under the "PSU Graduate Studies Scholarship."
His research interests center on natural actomyosin characterization, protein stability, cook-chill technology, and Maillard reaction products.
With his strong research interests, we look forward to his research contributions and active participation in the academic community at ICE-SSI.
We are proud to have you with us and wish you great success, meaningful discoveries, and a rewarding Ph.D. journey at Prince of Songkla University.
🌟🌟 Once again, welcome aboard, Mr. Krishan Kumar Yadav! 🎉🌸

🎓 Welcome 🎉
We are delighted to welcome our newest Ph.D. scholar, Mr. Ramdas Mashnaji Kudre, to the International Center of Excellence in Seafood Science and Innovation (ICE-SSI), Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, under the "PSU Talent Management Program."
He holds a Master of Science in Microbiology, with research experience spanning storage studies of meat and egg products, enzyme production from microorganisms and their bio-functional applications, and preparation of fish protein hydrolysate.
With his strong research interests, we look forward to his research contributions and active participation in the academic community at ICE-SSI.
We are proud to have you with us and wish you great success, meaningful discoveries, and a rewarding Ph.D. journey at Prince of Songkla University.
🌟🌟 Once again, welcome aboard, Mr. Ramdas Mashnaji Kudre! 🎉🌸