APLICATION OF ATUNG (Parinarium glaberimum, HASSK) IN HANDLING OF FRESH PELAGIC FISH

Atung plant (Parinarium glaberimum, HASSK) is endemic in Mollucas. Fruit of Atung have been used for hundred of years by the local fishermen when they go fishing. Efforts to preserved fresh food (especially fish) were continually pursue by using natural preserver which contained bioactive compound as antibacteria. The aim of the study was to get information on the quality (organoleptic, chemical, and microbiological) of post harvested using fish kept in atung powder and atung solution. Three kind of pelagic fish were used, namely; Layang (Decapterus sp), Tongkol (Euthynus sp) and Kembung (Restligger sp). The fishes were kept in 0,3% powder atung (W/W) and 20% atung solution (V/V), with shelf-life of freshness of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 hours. Sensory quality test was conducted by using descriptive test with scale ranged from 1 - 9. Quality parameter observed were the appearance, odor, texture, TVB (total volatile base), pH and TPC (total plate count). The results showed that quality of post harvested fresh fish kept in atung was the best treatment and with longer shelf life of freshness; i.e. 21 hours (20 th hour) (Kembung and Tongkol), while layang fish was 17 hours (16 th hour). In other hand, the treatment without atung (control) was 9 hours (8 th hour). Atung fruits were more practical, efficient than the treatment without atung, to be used as an alternative preservative by the sea-boarding fishermen. Keywords : endemic, atung, shelf-life, fresh of pelagic fish.