CHANGES IN MUSCLE PROPERTIES DURING POSTMORTEM STORAGE OF FARMED SEA BREAM (SPARUS AURATA)

摘要

This study assesses the effects of storage temperature on postmortemnchanges in textural parameters (firmness, water holding capacity), and theirnrelationship with biochemical and electrophoretic determinations (musclencollagen content and solubility, amount and integrity of sarcoplasmic andnmyofibrillar proteins) in sea bream muscle. Storage at 1C resulted in a prolongationnof the firmness compared with 4C, with no noticeable changes innwater holding capacity. This delay in muscle softening at 1C could be partiallynexplained by a limited proteolysis of some myofibrillar proteins, althoughninconsistent tendency was observed for other fractions. In contrast, the rate ofnmuscle collagen degradation was higher at 4C compared with 1C, this becomingnthe main contributing factor to firmness losses. The great variety of proteinnfractions separated electrophoretically, and the relatively minor and contradictorynchanges observed suggest the unfeasibility of electrophoresis as anroutine procedure for studying freshness in stored sea bream.