Cryoprotective Roles of Carboxymethyl Chitosan during the Frozen Storage of Surimi: Protein Structures, Gel Behaviors and Edible Qualities
Xiangwei Zhu,
Minglang Zhu,
Diheng He,
Xueyin Li,
Liu Shi,
Lan Wang,
Jianteng Xu,
Yi Zheng,
Tao Yin
Affiliations
Xiangwei Zhu
National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Minglang Zhu
National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Diheng He
National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Xueyin Li
National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Liu Shi
Institute for Farm Products Processing and Nuclear-Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan 430064, China
Lan Wang
Institute for Farm Products Processing and Nuclear-Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Science, Wuhan 430064, China
Jianteng Xu
Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Yi Zheng
Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Tao Yin
College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) is an ampholytic chitosan derivative that manifests versatile applications in food industry, such as antibacterial ingredients and nutritional additives. However, its use as a cryoprotectant remains under-researched. In this study, the cryoprotective effect of CMCh oligosaccharide (CMCO) on frozen surimi (silver carp) was systematically investigated in terms of protein structures, gelling behaviors, and sensory qualities. CMCO (0.6%) was incorporated in the surimi before frozen storage (−18 °C for 60 days) while the commercial cryoprotectant (4% sucrose, 4% sorbitol) was used as a positive control. Results indicated that CMCO could inhibit the freezing-induced denaturation of myofibrillar protein, whose values of solubility, Ca2+-ATPase and sulfhydryl content were 24.8%, 64.7%, and 17.1% higher than the nonprotected sample, respectively, while the surface hydrophobicity was 21.6% lower. Accordingly, CMCO stabilized microstructure of the surimi gels associated with improved gel strength, viscoelasticity, water-holding capacities, and whiteness. Moreover, the cryoprotective effect of CMCO with higher degree of carboxymethyl substitution (DS: 1.2) was more pronounced than that of low-DS-CMCO (DS: 0.8). Frozen surimi treated with high-DS-CMCO achieved competitive gelling properties and sensory acceptability to those with the commercial counterpart. This study provided scientific insights into the development of ampholytic oligosaccharides as food cryoprotectants.
