Effect of washing treatment and microbial transglutaminase on the gelling properties of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) proteins

Abstract

(2017) Effect of washing treatment and microbial transglutaminase on the gelling properties of blue crab (Callinectessapidus) proteins, CyTA -Journal of Food, 15:2, 165-170, DOI: 10.1080/19476337.2016 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10. 1080/19476337.2016 The effect of washing cycles and microbial transglutaminase on the gelation properties of crabmeat was evaluated. The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) was cooked at 120°C for 30 min before obtaining the meat. Cooked meat was homogenized in a cutter with 0 (control) or 0.5 microbial transglutaminase (MTGase), stuffed in steel tubes and setted at 40°C for 30 min before cooking at 90°C for 15 min. Control samples were cooked directly at 90°C. Changes in color, mechanical properties (puncture test) and water holding capacity (WHC) were evaluated. Adding MTGase improved the mechanical properties of crabmeat gels after one or three washing cycles in both cooking processes (setting and cooked directly). The results suggest that a single washing process produces crab meat gels with good mechanical properties while maintaining soluble proteins, responsible for the distinctive flavor of crabmeat.Efecto de los tratamientos de lavado y la enzima transglutaminasa en las propiedades gelificantes de las proteínas de jaiba azul (Callinectes sapidus) RESUMENSe evaluó el efecto de los ciclos de lavado y la transglutaminasa microbiana en las propiedades de gelificación de la carne de jaiba. La jaiba azul (Callinectes sapidus) se coció a 120°C por 30 min antes de obtener la carne. La carne cocida se homogenizó en una cortadora cárnica con 0 (control) o 0.5% de transglutaminasa microbiana (TGasa microbiana), embutida en tubos de acero inoxidable e incubada a 40°C por 30 antes de cocerla a 90 ºC por 15 min. Se obtuvieron muestras control cocidas directamente a 90 ºC. Se evaluaron los cambios en color, propiedades mecánicas (prueba de punción) y capacidad de retención de agua. La adición de TGasa microbiana mejoró las propiedades de los geles de carne de jaiba después de aplicar un ciclo de lavado en ambos métodos de cocción (incubación y cocción directa). Los resultados sugieren que un solo proceso de lavado permite obtener geles cárnicos de jaiba con buenas propiedades mecánicas, al mismo tiempo que preserva las proteínas solubles, responsables del sabor característico de la carne de jaiba. ARTICLE HISTORY

Improving of Gelling Capacity of Cooked Crab Meat Proteins

“…Blue crab meat ( Callinectes sapidus ) cooked at 120°C had better textural characteristics than meat obtained by cooking at 50–70°C, suggesting that the gelling mechanism of cooked meat is associated with the unfolding of previously thermally aggregated proteins ( 8 ). Adding microbial transglutaminase improved the properties of cooked crab gels requiring only one cold water washing cycle to obtain restructured products ( 9 , 10 ).…”