Inhibitory Effect of Edible Additives on Collagenase Activity and Softening of Chilled Grass Carp Fillets

Abstract

This study examined the inhibitory effects of catechin, tea polyphenols, gallic acid and Na‐citrate on the collagenase activity, collagen degradation and texture change of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets over a period of 21 days under superchilling (−1.5C ± 0.2C) and ice storage (0.2C ± 0.1C) conditions. The results showed that catechin was the most effective inhibitor of collagenase activity, followed by tea polyphenol and gallic acid. Na‐citrate exhibited the lowest inhibitory effect on collagenase activity. All additives were able to suppress the softening of chilled fillets to varying degrees. Catechin effectively retarded the softening of grass carp fillets under both conditions. The firmness of chilled fillets treated with catechin were 72.6 (superchilling storage) and 75.8% (ice storage) higher than of the firmness of control fillets after 3 days of storage, respectively. However, treatments with Na‐citrate showed no obvious inhibitory effect on textural deterioration. Practical Applications The texture of fillets when stored in chilled conditions inevitably deteriorated, represented by gapping and decreases in hardness. Recent studies have found that muscle softening is highly associated with collagen degradation induced by collagenase. Thus, the inhibition of collagenase and the stabilization of collagen are of great importance for controlling the autolytic degradation of fish muscle, thus alleviating the texture deterioration of chilled fillets. The inhibitory effect of four selected edible additives on the collagenase activity and texture deterioration of chilled grass carp fillets was investigated. Catechin effectively retarded the softening of chilled grass carp fillets. The present study provides a promising method for maintaining the texture quality of chilled fillet and extending the post‐mortem shelf‐life.

Combined effect of superchilling and tea polyphenols on the preservation quality of hairtail (Trichiurus haumela)

“…[13,14] To inhibit or mitigate these negative changes, various biopreservatives are normally added to the fish products to obtain optimum quality during ice, superchilling, or frozen storage. [15,16,17] Tea polyphenol, a prominent physiological active component in tea, has many beneficial functions for human health, including anti-cancer [18] and anti-obesity activities [19] , and could be used as antioxidant and potential preservative in food industry. Xu, Y.…”

“…Xu, Y. [15] evaluated the inhibitory effect of tea polyphenols on the collagen degradation, collagenase activity, and texture change of grass carp fillets. They found tea polyphenols were able to inhibit the softening of fillets both under superchilling and ice storage.…”

Combined Treatments of High Hydrostatic Pressure and CO2 in Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): Effects on Enzyme Inactivation, Physicochemical Properties, and Microbial Shelf Life

“…To evaluate the effect of storage on the physicochemical properties of the flesh, batches were stored at 4.0 ± 1.0 • C and samples were taken on days 0, 3, 7, and 10 for analysis. For microbiological analyses, counts were performed by the combined application of high hydrostatic pressure and carbon dioxide (HHP + CO 2 ) before day 0 and after 1, 3,5,7,10,12,15,18,21, and 25 days of refrigerated storage at 4 • C. Samples for each treatment were in triplicate.…”

“…The degradation of both collagen and myofibrillar proteins has been strongly related to tissue softening and quality deterioration during refrigerated storage [5,6]. Endogenous proteases such as calpains, metalloproteinases, lysosomal cathepsins, elastases, and collagenases significantly contribute to the detrimental post-mortem softening of fish muscle [7]. Cathepsins have reportedly caused the greatest degradation of the myosin heavy chain in several fish species.…”