Erkan, NurayDogruyol, HandeCan-Tuncelli, IdilOzden, OzkanMemis, DevrimTuncelli, GokhanErtik, Onur2026-02-082026-02-0820261438-23771438-2385https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-025-05033-0https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12885/5490This study investigates how salting (approximate to 3% NaCl), borax addition, and mild pasteurisation (60 degrees C/20 min) jointly affect the nutritional quality, oxidative stability, microbial safety, and sensory acceptance of aquacultured Acipenser gueldenstaedtii caviar during refrigerated storage. Four processing groups were evaluated: traditional malossol (TM), borax-added malossol (BTM), pasteurised malossol (PTM), and borax-added pasteurised malossol (BPTM). Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), water activity, microbial load, and sensory attributes were monitored during 7 months of cold storage (2 +/- 1 degrees C). Essential amino acids increased after salting, with lysine, leucine, and valine showing the largest rises (up to similar to 49%, p < 0.05). Borax showed a temporary inhibitory effect on microbial growth but reduced certain semi-essential amino acids. All formulations maintained sensory scores >= 5.0/10 for similar to 5 months (p < 0.05), after which scores declined. Across treatments, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) peaked at similar to 11.8% (PTM); TVB-N reached similar to 6.4-9.2 mg/100 g by month 7; TBARS increased to similar to 0.70-1.30 mu g MDA/g; mesophilic counts reached similar to 5.5 log cfu/g; and sensory acceptability persisted to similar to month 5. These findings show that optimised traditional processing can enhance the nutritional profile, safety, and shelf-life of sturgeon caviar. [GRAPHICS] .eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessSaltingPasteurizationFreshness indicatorsSensory qualityMicrobiological analysisArticle10.1007/s00217-025-05033-02522WOS:0016548382000042-s2.0-105026602295Q2Q1