Effect and mechanisms of mechanical pre-dehydration treatment on gelling and physicochemical properties of unwashed silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) surimi

Sirui Zeng; Xidong Jiao; Xiaowei Yan; Bowen Yan; Tenghui Yu; Yongwei Niu; Heng Jiang; Nana Zhang; Hao Zhang; Wei Chen; Daming Fan

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142521

Effect and mechanisms of mechanical pre-dehydration treatment on gelling and physicochemical properties of unwashed silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) surimi

Food Chem. 2024 Dec 16:468:142521. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142521. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sirui Zeng¹, Xidong Jiao¹, Xiaowei Yan², Bowen Yan³, Tenghui Yu⁴, Yongwei Niu⁵, Heng Jiang², Nana Zhang⁶, Hao Zhang¹, Wei Chen⁷, Daming Fan⁸

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
² Taizhou Anjoy foods Co., LTD, Taizhou 225700, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Refrigeration and Conditioning Aquatic Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xiamen 361022, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Hubei Anjoy foods Co., LTD, Qianjiang 433100, China.
⁵ Shandong Anjoy foods Co., LTD, Dezhou 253600, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Refrigeration and Conditioning Aquatic Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xiamen 361022, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Refrigeration and Conditioning Aquatic Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xiamen 361022, China; Engineering Technology Research Center of Refrigeration and Conditioning Aquatic Products, China National Light Industry Council, Anshan 114010, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39700815
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142521

Abstract

Washing improves the overall quality of surimi production. However, the washing process significantly increases wastewater discharge from factories, thus raising environmental concerns and highlighting the need for more sustainable methods of surimi production. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of improving the quality of unwashed freshwater surimi by mechanical pre-dehydration and to explore the changes in gelling properties and physicochemical characteristics during frozen storage. The results indicate that the gel strength and water-holding capacity (WHC) of mechanically pre-dehydrated unwashed surimi can reach 522.50 g·cm and 68.12 %, which were equivalent to surimi subjected to two washes. During frozen storage, the pre-dehydration exhibited beneficial effects on the gel properties and water retention of surimi. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that pre-dehydration retarded protein degradation during frozen storage. Indicators such as sulfhydryl groups, carbonyl content, protein solubility, and TBARS indicated that pre-dehydration could reduce the rate of protein and lipid oxidation. Focusing on the changes in endogenous components during the pre-dehydration, we showed that the dehydration could reduce the fat content (from 83.8 g/kg to 68.03 g/kg) and activities of cathepsin B (from 13.1 U/g to 7.3 U/g), lipoxygenase (from 621.3 U/g to 416 U/g), and gelatin-degrading enzymes in unwashed surimi, thereby enhancing the gel properties and frozen stability. Therefore, mechanical pre-dehydration can enhance the quality of unwashed surimi, thus providing a more environmentally friendly surimi production method.

Keywords: Endogenous components; Frozen storage; Gelling properties; Mechanical pre-dehydration; Surimi.