Miranda López, José ManuelZhang, BinBarros Velázquez, JorgeAubourg Martínez, Santiago Pedro2021-08-032021-08-032021Molecules 2021, 26(12), 3774; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26123774http://hdl.handle.net/10347/26677This work addressed the preservative behaviour of different icing media containing extracts from the alga Bifurcaria bifurcata. A comparative study of the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of this macroalga was carried out. Whole hake (Merluccius merluccius) pieces were stored in ice containing either kind of extract and analysed for quality changes throughout a 13-day storage period. A progressive loss of microbial and biochemical quality was detected in all batches as chilling time increased. A significant inhibitory effect (p < 0.05) on microbial activity could be observed as a result of including the aqueous (lowering of psychrotrophic and lipolytic counts and pH value) and ethanolic (lowering of psychrotrophic and lipolytic counts) extracts. Additionally, both kinds of extract led to a substantial inhibition (p < 0.05) in the lipid hydrolysis rate (formation of free fatty acids), greater in the case of the batch containing ethanolic extract. Concerning lipid oxidation, a similar inhibitory effect (p < 0.05) on the formation of secondary compounds (thiobarbituric acid substances) was noticed in fish specimens corresponding to both alga extracts; however, more (p < 0.05) peroxide formation was detected in fish corresponding to the ethanolic extract batch. A preservative effect can be concluded for both kinds of extract; this effect agrees with previous studies reporting the presence of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds in B. bifurcataeng© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Atribución 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Refrigerated hakeBifurcaria bifurcataAqueous and ethanolic extractsMicrobial activityLipid damageQuality enhancementjournal article10.3390/molecules261237741420-3049open access