Chitosan as Antimicrobial Agent and Fatty Acid Absorber in Smoked Skipjack Tuna Processed Using Coconut Shell

Background: Chitosan, a hydrophilic biopolymer industrially obtained by N-deacetylation of chitin, which allow for a wide scope of applications and can be applied as an antimicrobial agent.Theaim of this study was to determine theconcentration of chitosan compound in which it can play an active role in inhibiting the growth of bacteria and also absorb the fatty acid /cholesterol in the smoked fish meat. Method: The research method used in this study wastheRandomized Block Design (RBD) factorial. There were two treatments in this study, namely: Treatment A (fish was dipped in a chitosan solution and then smoked), Treatment B (fish was smoked and then dipped in a 1%, 2% and 3% chitosan solution) and one control, in which the fish was smoked without being dipped in chitosan solution and then stored for five days. Results: The results showed that the chitosan concentration (1%, 2%, 3%) significantly affected the growth of bacteria that occurred on day 3 (p = 0,00) and day 5 (p = 0,000), while day 1 did not differ significantly. There was a difference in the levels of fatty acids between the control and A (p = 0,00) and the control with B (p = 0,000), with the best concentration of chitosan was 3%. Conclusion: Fifteen saturated fatty acids and eleven unsaturated fatty acids were found in fish smoked with coconut shells.