Abstract
ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to investigate the potential of cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen in the shelf-life extension of northern snakehead (Channa argus) and clarify the effects of temperature fluctuations after freezing on the quality attributes and tissue microstructure during frozen storage. The fish fillets were frozen by three methods including freezing using an ultra-low-temperature freezer (−80°C) to the core temperature of −60°C (T1) or −18°C (T2), or liquid nitrogen (T3) followed by storage at −20°C for five months. Cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen postponed the decrease in pH and protein extractability. Temperature fluctuations after freezing might promote the accretion of ice crystals and resulted in the loss of tissue integrity and disorganization of myofibrils. The microstructural changes contributed greatly to the increased thawing loss and decreased resilience, as indicated by the enlarged extracellular spacing and the flakiness of myofibrils. Cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen showed no superiority in maintaining the microstructure of northern snakehead fillets, which was supposedly attributed to the cracking in tissue during freezing and the accretion of ice crystals during frozen storage.
Highlights
Northern snakehead (Channa argus) is one of the most important economic fish species cultured in China
The temperature fluctuation after freezing might affect the stability of ice crystals formed during freezing and the quality changes of frozen meat.[23]
The decline in the enzymatic activity in the late storage period was presumed to be due to the denaturation of activities of α-glucosidase (AG) and NAG. These results were in accordance with those of Benjakul et al.,[21] who found that the AG and NAG activities of croaker and lizardfish decreased after 20 and 16 weeks of frozen storage at −18°C, respectively. These enzymatic changes in this study indicated a significant loss of cell membrane integrity of northern snakehead during freezing and frozen storage
Summary
Northern snakehead (Channa argus) is one of the most important economic fish species cultured in China. In 2012, the total production of snakehead reached 480,594 tonnes.[1] This fish has a tremendous market value due to the high quality of flesh, low fat content, and few intramuscular spines as an important protein source, which is well known for its recuperative and medicinal qualities.[2,3] Generally, northern snakehead, which has high vitality, is sold whole and alive, killed, and cooked in a variety of ways.[4] as an invasive species, its introduction can pose a great threat to the native fish populations. No related information has been available on northern snakehead fish. It is necessary to verify the suitability of frozen storage in the preservation of northern snakehead meat
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