Semi-quantitative evaluation of seafood spoilage using filter-paper strips loaded with an aggregation-induced emission luminogen

The method for seafood spoilage detection is far from satisfactory for ensuring food safety and security. Here, we develop a simple and cost-effective method using the filter papers loaded with a dihydroquinoxaline derivative (H + DQ2) to monitor salmon spoilage. The correlation between the content of solid biogenic amines and the photoluminescence intensity (PL) of H + DQ2 induced by amine vapours showed that the PL intensities of H + DQ2 increased with the increase of spoilage, which indicates that it is feasible to evaluate the spoilage degree of salmon based on the PL intensity of H + DQ2-loaded filter papers by semi-quantitation. The optimum detection condition is 75, 50 and 50 g of salmon, 75, 25 and 10 µM H + DQ2 at 0, 4 and 25 °C, respectively. This study provides a quick and simple way for testing amine vapour from fish and provides baseline information for developing an easy-to-use on-site method to evaluate seafood quality for customers.