Postmortem tenderization is caused by enzymatic degradation of key structural proteins in myofibrils as well as in extracellular matrix, and of proteins involved in intermyofibrillar linkages and linkages between myofibrils and the sarcolemma. The function of these proteins is to maintain the structural integrity of myofibrils. Current data indicate that calpains and cathepsins may be responsible for degradation of these proteins. Other phenomena occurring in cells postmortem (pH drop, sarcoplasmic Ca2+ increase, osmotic pressure rise, oxidative processes) may act in synergy with proteases. Our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of muscle degradation should be improved for an accurate evaluation of the postmortem muscle changes and consequently of the fish quality.

This report describes a set of 21 polymerase chain reaction primers and amplification conditions developed to barcode practically any teleost fish species according to their mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear rhodopsin gene sequences. The method was successfully tested in more than 200 marine fish species comprising the main Actinopterygii family groups. When used in phylogenetic analyses, its combination of two genes with different evolutionary rates serves to identify fish at the species level. We provide a flow diagram indicating our validated polymerase chain reaction amplification conditions for barcoding and species identification applications as well as population structure or haplotyping analyses, adaptable to high‐throughput analyses.

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The purpose of this study was to obtain additional information regarding proteolysis mechanisms and disorganization of fish myofibrils resulting in a loss of flesh quality. The ability of cathepsins to degrade in vitro myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins from fish muscle was investigated in order to explain their role in post mortem softening. This led to the identification of substrates of the enzymes. Cathepsins degraded myosin heavy chain and α-actinin. Tropomyosin and actin were only susceptible to the action of cathepsin L. Troponin T (assumed 32 kDa component) was resistant only to the action of cathepsin D. Desmin was degraded by cathepsins B and L. Slight changes of some other myofibrillar or cytosolic proteins were also observed (creatine kinase and other unidentified proteins). When compared with protein modifications observed in stored post mortem muscle, these results suggest that cathepsin D (if location is in the cytosol and if pH conditions for activity are met in post mortem muscle) could be involved in a post mortem myofibrillar degradation mechanism.

Post mortem tenderization is one of the most unfavourable quality changes in fish muscle and this contrasts with muscle of mammalian meats. The tenderization can be partly attributed to the acid lysosomal cathepsins and cytosolic neutral calcium-activated calpains. In this study, these proteases from fish and bovine muscles were quantified and compared. The cathepsin B and L activities were in more important amounts in sea bass white muscle than in bovine muscle. On the other hand, cathepsin D activity was 1.4 times higher in meat that in fish muscle, while cathepsin H was negligible in both muscles. Calpain activities were similar in both types of muscle. Moreover, calpastatin (calpain endogenous inhibitor) level is 3.9 times higher in sea bass white muscle. These differential activities are considered in relation to their probable involvement in post mortem degradation of muscle.