Chemical changes after irradiation and post-irradiation storage in tilapia and Spanish mackerel

Influence of gamma irradiation (1.5-10 kGy) and post-irradiation storage up to 20 days at 2 +/- 2 degrees C on some chemical criteria of tilapia and Spanish mackerel were studied. Total volatile basic nitrogen formation was lower in irradiated fish than in the unirradiated. Irradiation also caused a larger increase in thiobarbituric acid values which continued gradually during storage. Some fatty acids decreased by irradiation treatments at all doses. Thiamin loss was more severe at higher doses (greater than or equal to 4.5 kGy), whereas riboflavin was not affected. Alpha and gamma tocopherols of tilapia and alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols, in Spanish mackerel, decreased with increased dose and continued to decrease during 20-day post-irradiation storage.