The Study evaluated the efficacy of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) derived from Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) head and viscera oil as a novel antimicrobial agent. Soxhlet extraction and esterification by lipase were performed. The functional pork sausage was prepared with FA and FAME-embedded sodium alginate (SA). The highest EPA (4.15%) and DHA (21.96%) were reported in the head oil extracted by ethanol. SEM images and results of the disc diffusion method evidenced FAME's effect on bacterial cell damage and growth inhibition. Compared to control and SA-coated samples, bacterial growth was inhibited in fortified samples starting from the 6th day of storage.
The reduction in colony counts and overall acceptance in sensorial property evaluation were Significantly higher in FAME-fortified sausage (0.72 ± 0.02 log CFU/g), (6.97 ± 0.06) than the FA-fortified sausage (0.60 ± 0.03 log CFU/g), (6.37 ± 0.06). That concludes the FAME's enhanced antimicrobial properties and its possible application in functional foods.