Chemical assessment of freshness in stored adductor muscle of scallop

MASSA, A. E.; PAREDI, M. E.; CRUPKIN, M.

Santa Fe. Argentina

Congreso; 3er Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering. 1er Congress of Chemical Engineering - ENPROMER; 2001

Facultad de Ingeniería Química (U. N. del Litoral), CERIDE (CONICET), INTEC ((U. N. del Litoral – CONICET), INGAR (CONICET)

The post-mortem catabolism of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the 260/250-absorbance ratio were investigated in extracts of cold stored adductor muscles from scallop (Zygochlamys patagónica). The changes in the pH of stored muscles were also investigated. The ATP content increased for a short time after death and afterwards decreased up to 24 hr of storage. Thereafter, the nucleotide level remained unchanged up to the end of storage. The ADP content slightly decreased up to 48 hr and after that remained unchanged. The AMP slowly accumulated to around 15 % of the total nucleotide concentration when the ATP decreased. Small amounts of IMP were detected in all samples. Conversely, adenosine (Ado) was not detected. Inosine (HxR) slightly increased after 48 hr of storage and hypoxanthine (Hx) significantly increased after 24 hr. The 260/250-absorbance ratio of muscle extracts and the pH of stored muscles fell sharply up to 24 hr and then decreased slowly up to the end of storage. The hypoxanthine concentration and the 260/250-absorbance ratio could be reliable indicators of storage age in adductor muscles of scallop.