Impacts of a novel live shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) water-free transportation strategy on flesh quality: Insights through stress response and oxidation in lipids and proteins

Abstract

A novel strategy of water-free transportation (WFT) for live shrimp was recently developed. In this study, survival rate, hormone response, free radical content, oxidation in lipids and proteins, and flesh quality were evaluated after WFT. Meanwhile water transportation (WT) was employed as a reference for comparison. Results showed only 5.1% mortality after 10 h of WFT, while crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), free fatty acid content (FFA), peroxide value (PV), carbonyl concentration, intrinsic fluorescence intensity (IFI), and surface hydrophobicity significantly increased. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) and actin degradation were also detected after WFT. Although oxidation occurred in lipids and proteins, no significant changes in texture and water-holding capacity (WHC) were detected after WFT or WT (p > 0.05). The 10 h of WFT showed little influence on flesh quality of shrimp even though lipids and proteins oxidation occurred during the mimicked water-free transportation.