Although dark muscle is currently the most important obstacle in marketing high-quality Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) surimi, reducing washing remains a challenge for long-term surimi production from this species. Herein, the impact of washing cycles (one (W1), two (W2), and three (W3) cycles) with a 1:3 mince to water ratio on the bio-physico-chemical properties, rheology, and gelling ability of mackerel surimi was evaluated. The yield, Ca2+-ATPase activity, TCA-soluble peptide, and myoglobin contents of surimi decreased as the number of washing cycles increased, while lipid removal, reactive SH content, and surface hydrophobicity of surimi increased. Surimi generated by W2 and W3 provided the same rheological patterns and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra as unwashed mince, with the highest gel strength and whiteness, as well as the lowest expressible drip, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and fishy odor. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated the presence of polymerized proteins stabilized by disulfide and other interactions. Using a scanning electron microscope, several concentrated dense areas and distributed pores generated by myofibrillar proteins gel networks were found. Surimi from W2 and W3 appeared to be of similar overall quality, however W2 had a larger yield. As a result of the evaluation of bio-physico-chemical, rheological, and gel-forming capabilities, as well as product yield, W2 may be the best option for producing high-quality surimi from Indian mackerel in a sustainable manner.

Effect of cold carbonated water (CW) washing on the biochemical properties and gel characteristics of mackerel surimi was evaluated. Three washing cycles were performed with different orders of washing medium including T1 (water, water and water), T2 (CW, water and water), T3 (CW, CW and water) and T4 (CW, CW and CW). The results showed that CW washing, especially T4, caused the decrease in pH, Ca-ATPase activity and surface hydrophobicity and led to the increase in reactive sulfhydryl content. Regardless of washing treatment, haem protein of surimi decreased significantly compared to unwashed mince. However, carbonated water did not improve haem protein removal. The highest lipid reduction was found in T1 and T2. Gels from all CW washing treatments had a comparable whiteness. Breaking force of CW surimi gel increased with increasing washing cycle (T2 < T3 < T4). Deformations of all surimi gels were not much different (~7 mm). Expressible drip increased with increasing CW washing cycle. Numbers of jointed spherical matrices were found in surimi gel microstructures. With increasing CW washing cycle, densely packed aggregates were formed. Therefore, CW washing with appropriate cycle can be used as an alternative means for mackerel surimi production.

This work comparatively investigated the effects of different levels (0, 1, 3, and 5%, w/w) of cricket protein powder (CP) and soy protein isolate (SPI) on the gel properties of mackerel surimi. Both SPI and CP enhanced the rheological properties of surimi pastes during heating, as indicated by the increase in G′ and G″ and the decrease in tan δ. With increasing SPI content, the proteolytic inhibition, gel properties, water-holding capacity, and textural profiles of surimi gel were markedly enhanced. Molecular driving-force results showed that SPI markedly promoted the hydrophobic interaction, while disulfide bonds were dominant in CP-added gel. However, the whiteness of surimi gels tended to decrease with the increased levels of both additives, in particular CP. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated that SPI hindered the polymerization of myosin heavy chain while CP participated in the formation of non-disulfide covalent bonds with actin. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that CP and SPI did not influence the secondary structure of proteins in surimi. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that CP or SPI induced the myofibrillar protein to form smoother and compact gel network structures. Overall acceptability of the mackerel surimi gel can be improved by the incorporation of 5% SPI while CP had a negative impact on several parameters. However, CP showed the remarkable ability to prevent the lipid oxidation of the gel after storage at 4 °C for 7 days. Overall, both SPI and CP demonstrated positive impacts on the gelling characteristics of mackerel surimi; however, SPI was more advantageous than CP in terms of the gel-strengthening effect and sensory qualities. This study offered a potential use for plant and insect proteins as functional and nutritional ingredients for the production of dark-fleshed fish surimi.

Ultrasonic assisted washing (UAW) improved gel-forming ability of mackerel surimi. Washing time can be reduced up to 50% compared to the conventional washing.