Comparative Efficacy of Garlic Powder, Oil, and Paste as Natural Antioxidants for Improving Oxidative Stability and Sensory Quality of Hot-Smoked Fish

Abstract

Abstract:  Hot-smoked fish products remain highly susceptible to lipid oxidation during storage, resulting in quality deterioration, off-flavour development, and reduced consumer acceptability. This study evaluated the comparative efficacy of garlic powder, garlic oil, and garlic paste as natural antioxidants for improving oxidative stability and sensory quality of hot-smoked fish. Fresh long croaker (Pseudotolithus typus) portions were hot-smoked and treated with garlic powder (2% w/w), garlic oil (1 mL/100 g), or garlic paste (5% w/w), while untreated samples served as the control. Samples were stored at ambient temperature (28 ± 2°C) for 30 days and analyzed for pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), lipid oxidation using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and sensory attributes. Garlic treatments significantly affected lipid oxidation (p = 0.001). Garlic oil and garlic paste markedly reduced TBARS values to 3.43 and 3.22 mg MDA/kg, respectively, compared with the control (4.68 mg MDA/kg), whereas garlic powder recorded the highest TBARS value (7.81 mg MDA/kg). Garlic oil and paste also resulted in slightly lower pH values (6.43) compared with the control (6.57), while WHC was not significantly affected (62.22–66.67%, p = 0.339). Sensory evaluation revealed significant differences among treatments (p < 0.001), with garlic paste achieving the highest scores for flavour, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability (8.50), followed by garlic oil (7.00–8.00), garlic powder (6.50), and the control (5.00).The results demonstrate that garlic paste and garlic oil are effective natural antioxidants for controlling lipid oxidation and enhancing the sensory quality of hot-smoked fish, with garlic paste showing the greatest overall efficacy. These findings support the use of garlic-based treatments as practical clean-label strategies for improving the shelf life and consumer acceptance of smoked fish products.