Effects of different thawing methods on the physicochemical properties and myofibrillar protein characteristics of Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

Litopenaeus vannamei is a highly sought-after seafood, but its short shelf life makes it highly perishable due to microbial and chemical reactions. Freezing is a common technology used for extending the shelf life of shrimp. However, it is essential to undergo a thawing process before consuming or further processing frozen shrimp. In this study, the effects of different thawing methods, including immersion (IT), ultrasonic (UT), microwave (MT), refrigerator (RT), and air thawing (AT) on the qualitative parameters and protein denaturation of shrimp were investigated. The results showed that UT reduced fat oxidation and color degradation and was more effective than other thawing treatments like AT, IT, MT, and RT at retaining water. Based on the results of surface hydrophobicity, turbidity, particle size, and Zeta potential, UT reduced the aggregation and oxidation of myofibrillar proteins (MP) during the thawing process compared to other thawing methods. Utilizing UT also minimized the amount of harm that was done to MP secondary and tertiary structures during the thawing process. In conclusion, UT is a novel thawing technique to maintain the quality of shrimp meat quickly and effectively compared with other thawing methods, which is important for the quality of subsequent processing of frozen shrimp.