Effects of conservation method and time on fatty acid composition, taste and microstructure of southern king crab (Lithodes santolla Molina, 1782) meat

CARELLI, A.A.; RISSO, S.

JOURNAL OF AQUATIC FOOD PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY

HAWORTH PRESS INC

Lugar: Philadelphia; Año: 2017 vol. 26 p. 731 - 743

1049-8850

This study reports the changes in fatty acids, taste and microstructure of cooked southern king crab meat (Lithodes santolla) during storage at 0°C for 10 days and at -20°C for 90 days. At the end of both storage times, the iodine value decreased by 16.5%, while 83.5% of the initial fatty acid quality remained unchanged. The polyene ratio decreased by 32% at 0°C and 35.9% at -20°C, whereas the atherogenic and thrombotic indices remained at values that do not represent any risk to human health. Free amino acids that contribute to taste (Taste active value, TAV>1) were: glycine and alanine (sweetness), arginine (bittersweetness), and histidine (bitterness). The bittersweet taste imparted by arginine (initial TAV= 16.4) was prevalent even at the end of freezing storage (TAV=7.9). The umami taste was elicited by AMP nucleotide. The equivalent umami concentration in g MSG/100g meat changed from 0.031 to 0.045 in refrigerated samples and to 1.6 in frozen samples. A loss of the original fibrous structure of the meat was evidenced during both treatments. Refrigerated samples presented a disintegrated and homogeneous texture at 10 days, while freezing formed a spongy tissue at 90 days.