A sodium alginate bilayer coating incorporated with green propolis extract as a powerful tool to extend Colossoma macropomum fillet shelf-life.

• Cyclolaudenol was the major constituent of the green propolis extract. • Brazilian green propolis showed great potencial for fish bilayer coating. • Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of propolis aid in the conservation of fish fillets. • The sodium alginate bilayer coating showed high sensorial acceptance. Fish deterioration imposes great economic losses and serious human health hazards. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of a sodium alginate bilayer coating incorporated to the green propolis extract in shelf-life, physical–chemical properties, microbiological properties and sensory acceptance of Colossoma macropomum fillets. Additionally, the chemical composition, along with the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Brazilian green propolis extract (GPE) were investigated. GPE showed promising antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Twenty-seven metabolites were identified by gas chromatography (GC–MS), which mainly comprised terpenoids (52.14%). Cyclolaudenol was the major constituent of the GPE and it is described for the first time in green propolis extracts. C. macropomum fillets treated with the sodium alginate bilayer coating showed high sensory acceptance, reduced microbial deterioration and extended shelf-life (up to 11 days) during cold storage. Taken together, these results show that GPE can be a great alternative of a natural preservative for fish coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]