Effects of ultrasound on the thawing of quick-frozen small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) based on TMT-labeled quantitative proteomic

The effect of dual-frequency sequential ultrasonic thawing (DUT) on the quality of quick-frozen small yellow croaker was studied by TMT-labeled quantitative proteomic method. A total number of 75 proteins were iden-tified as differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in fish meat treated by DUT, while 72 DAPs were in flow water thawing (FWT). The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that the DAPs in the significant enrichment pathway of DUT group were enzymes. Compared with FWT, DUT had a significant effect on the enzyme content. The correlation analyses indicated that 40 DAPs were related with the quality traits. The 11 highly correlated DAPs are expected to be used as potential protein markers for texture profile analyses, color, thawing loss, water-holding capacity, and pH of thawed small yellow croaker quality. These results provide a further understanding of the quality stability of quick-frozen small yellow croaker treated by the DUT.

Automated summary

The study investigated the impact of dual-frequency sequential ultrasonic thawing on the quality of quick-frozen small yellow croaker using a TMT-labeled quantitative proteomic method. The results identified differentially abundant proteins in the fish meat treated with DUT, with enrichment in enzyme pathways. Correlation analyses revealed potential protein markers related to quality traits in thawed small yellow croaker. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the quality stability of quick-frozen small yellow croaker treated with DUT.