| dc.description.abstract | The development of a curcumin-based sensor for the
detection of volatile amines (specifically known as total volatile
basic nitrogen, TVBN) is described. Curcumin [(1E,6E)-1,7bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5dione]
is
the major yellow pigment extracted from turmeric, a commonly
used spice, derived from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma
longa. Curcumin was immobilized onto bacterial cellulose
membrane via the absorption method. Thus, the sensing
materials are edible and suitable for food applications. The
curcumin/bacterial cellulose membrane as the TVBN sensor
worked based on pH increase as the basic spoilage volatile
amines produced gradually in the package headspace, and
subsequently, the color of the sensor will change from yellow
to orange, then to reddish orange for spoilage indication,
which is easily visible to the naked eye. The curcumin
membrane is a highly sensitive material toward acid–base
reactions. Color changes, as a result of its interactions with
increasing pH (as a result of increasing TVBN), were
monitored directly with visual inspection and the color
quantitatively measured with color analysis via Photoshop
software. Furthermore, the membrane response was found to
correlate with bacterial growth patterns in shrimp samples.
Finally, the curcumin/bacterial cellulose membrane was
successfully used as a sticker sensor for real-time monitoring
of shrimp spoilage in ambient and chiller conditions. | en_US |
