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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #338840
Research Project: Improving the Product Value of Catfish

Location: Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research

Title: Comparative studies on the yield and characteristics of myofibrillar proteins from catfish heads and frames extracted by two methods for making surimi-like protein gel products

Author
item TAN, YUQING - Mississippi State University
item HAORAN, GAO - Mississippi State University
item CHANG, SAM - Mississippi State University
item Bechtel, Peter
item MAHMOUD, BARAKAT - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2018
Publication Date: 7/26/2018
Citation: Tan, Y., Haoran, G., Chang, S.K., Bechtel, P.J., Mahmoud, B.S. 2018. Comparative studies on the yield and characteristics of myofibrillar proteins from catfish heads and frames extracted by two methods for making surimi-like protein gel products. Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.07.201.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.07.201

Interpretive Summary: Enhancing profitability of the catfish industry is of a high priority to the U.S. aquaculture. The catfish by-products, including heads, skin, frame and viscera, account for 55-65% of the whole fish mass. Catfish by-products contain 35% of the total protein content of the whole fish, much of which is currently underutilized. The objectives of this study were to isolate proteins by two methods (alkaline extraction and salt extraction) from two by-product sources (catfish heads and frames), and to determine the optimum extraction conditions for protein yield and gelling properties. In summary, compared with catfish head, catfish frame had higher protein recovery yield and color similarity with the commercial products. With respect to the extraction both methods were able to extract muscle proteins from catfish by-products, and alkali extraction method had significant higher protein recovery. Texture analysis results indicated that surimi produced from protein extracted by the alkali extraction method had higher firmness, and surimi produced using the salt extraction method was more elastic. Different characteristics of the protein from the two extraction methods could lead to different food applications.

Technical Abstract: Proteins in catfish heads and frames were extracted by two methods: Alkaline extraction (AE) and salt extraction (SE). SDS-PAGE (sodium-dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) was used to determine the patterns of the protein obtained from the extraction process. Properties determined for of fish protein isolate (FPI) including protein yield and content, moisture content, SDS-PAGE protein patterns, color values and instrumental texture, were compared with selected commercial surimi products. Results indicated the yields of AE-FPI (head: 36.64%; frame: 55.75%) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than SE-FPI (Head: 9.27%; Frame: 16.13%). Texture analysis showed that the firmness of cooked surimi gels made from catfish heads were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that made from catfish frames. Firmness of cooked surimi gels made from FPI extracted by the SE method had significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that gels made using the AE method (Head: 1.96 kg/cm2; Frame: 1.85 kg/cm). SDS-PAGE results indicate the integrity of major myofibrillar proteins were maintained during the extraction process, and the protein patterns were similar to that of selected commercial surimi products.