Investigating the Effect of Various Sous-Vide Cooking Conditions on Protein Structure and Texture Characteristics of Tilapia Fillet Using Synchrotron Radiation-Based FTIR

The effects of various sous-vide (SV) cooking conditions (50-60celcius, 30-60 min) on physicochemical properties related to the texture characteristics, protein structure/degradation, and sensory acceptability of tilapia fillet (Oreochromis niloticus) were investigated. With an increasing temperature and processing time of SV cooking, protein degradation (of both myofibrils and connective tissue) was more pronounced, as evaluated by the decrease in water- and salt-soluble proteins, total collagen, as well as the changes in the ratio of secondary protein structures (alpha-helix, beta-sheet, beta-turn, etc.), which were determined by synchrotron-FTIR (SR-FTIR). These degradations were associated with the improvement of meat tenderness, as estimated by shear force and texture profile analyzer (TPA) results. Among all SV conditions, using 60 celcius for 45 min seems to be the optimal condition for tilapia meat, since it delivered the best results for texture characteristics and acceptability (p < 0.05). Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) results clearly demonstrated that the highest texture-liking score of this condition was well associated with the intensity of beta-sheets, which seem to be the crucial component that affected the texture of SV-cooked tilapia more so than other parameters. The findings demonstrated the potential of SR-FTIR to decipher the biomolecular structure, particularly the secondary protein structure, of SV-cooked tilapia. This technique provided essential information for a better understanding of the changes in biomolecules related to the textural characteristics of this product.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of various sous-vide cooking conditions on the physicochemical properties, protein structure/degradation, and sensory acceptability of tilapia fillet. Increasing the temperature and processing time of sous-vide cooking led to more pronounced protein degradation, which was evaluated by changes in water- and salt-soluble proteins, total collagen, and secondary protein structures. These degradation processes were associated with improved meat tenderness. The optimal condition for tilapia meat was found to be 60 celcius for 45 minutes, as it resulted in the best texture characteristics and acceptability. The study also demonstrated the potential of synchrotron-FTIR to analyze the biomolecular structure of sous-vide cooked tilapia and provided essential information for understanding the changes in biomolecules related to the texture of this product.