High-intensity ultrasound improved the physicochemical and gelling properties of Litopenaeus vannamei myofibrillar protein

The effects of high-intensity ultrasound on the physicochemical and gelling properties of Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei) myofibrillar protein (MP) were investigated. MP solutions were subjected to ultrasound treatment (power 100 W, 300 W, and 500 W). It was found that the carbonyl and free amino contents of MP increased significantly with increasing ultrasound power, accompanied by enhanced emulsification properties. The in-crease of free radical and carbonyl content indicated that ultrasound induced the oxidation of MP. With the increase of ultrasound power, it was found that the total sulfhydryl content of the shrimp MP decreased, but the surface hydrophobicity increased significantly, which might be closely related to the conformational changes of MP. Meanwhile, a significant increase of beta-sheet but a decrease of alpha-helix in the secondary structure of MP was observed with increasing ultrasound power, indicating that ultrasound treatment induced the stretching and flexibility of MP molecules. SDS-PAGE showed that L. vannamei MP consisted of myosin heavy chain, actin, myosin light chain, paramyosin and tropomyosin. Ultrasound treatment could lead to some degree of oxidative aggregation of MP. The results of rheological properties indicated that ultrasound treatment enhanced the viscoelasticity of MP and further improved the gel strength of MP gel. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the functional modification of shrimp MP and the processing of its surimi products.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of high-intensity ultrasound on the physicochemical and gelling properties of Litopenaeus vannamei myofibrillar protein (MP). The results showed that ultrasound treatment increased the carbonyl and free amino contents of MP, leading to enhanced emulsification properties. In addition, ultrasound treatment induced conformational changes in MP, resulting in increased surface hydrophobicity and improved gel strength. This study provides a theoretical basis for the functional modification of shrimp MP and the processing of its surimi products.