A Study on the Effects of Calcium Lactate on the Gelling Properties of Large Yellow Croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) Surimi by Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Divalent calcium ions (Ca2+) are often used in surimi gels to improve their physicochemical characteristics. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of calcium lactate on the physicochemical properties, state distribution of water, and protein structure changes of surimi gels made from large yellow croaker. The results showed that the addition of calcium lactate (0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5%, and 4.5% on wet surimi) significantly (p < 0.05) increased gel strength and whiteness, while cooking loss decreased. The water-holding capacity increased first and then decreased. When calcium lactate was added to 1.5%, the water-holding capacity reached the best value. Using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance to study the distribution of water state, the bound water content first increased and then decreased with the addition of calcium lactate, reaching the highest at 1.5%. In addition, the relaxation time of immobilized water was shortest at the addition of 1.5% calcium lactate. Analyzing the protein structural changes by Raman spectroscopy showed that there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the α-helix accompanied by an increase in β-sheets, turns, and random coils after the addition of calcium lactate. The above changes were due to the Ca2+ that was bound to the negatively charged myofibrils to form a protein-Ca2+-protein cross-linking. Therefore, the addition of calcium lactate had a significant positive effect on the gelling ability of surimi.

Using Potassium Bicarbonate to Improve the Water-Holding Capacity, Gel and Rheology Characteristics of Reduced-Phosphate Silver Carp Batters

“…PBC and STPP are alkaline, which has an influence on the protein structure and breaks the bonds between proteins [ 37 ]. Due to the pH and ion strength of cooked silver carp batters with PBC being higher than the sample with STPP, when using PBC to replace STPP, the α-helix structure unfolds, gradually transforming into β-sheet and β-turns structures [ 38 , 39 ]. Moreover, the α-helice and random coil structures content have a tendency to decrease, accompanied by β-sheet and β-turns structures content which have a tendency to increase, while the T2 and T3; T3, T4, and T5 samples were not significantly different ( p > 0.05).…”

Processing and Preservation of Aquatic Products

“…Adding functional ingredients such as starch, calcium ions, and transglutaminase can significantly improve the quality of surimi products. Sang et al [9] added different proportions (0 to 4.5%) of calcium lactate to large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) surimi and found that calcium lactate could significantly improve its gelation properties, including its gel strength, whiteness, cooking loss and water holding capacity. The mechanism of calcium lactate enhancing surimi gelation was found to be related to the promotion of myosin stretching by divalent calcium ions and the formation of salt bridges between adjacent negatively charged proteins.…”

Quality of skipjack surimi (Katsuwonus pelamis) with addition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)

“…Calcium carbonate is a whitening agent commonly used as an additive in surimi [11]. Besides influencing the color, it turned out that calcium carbonate as a bleaching agent could enhance protein-protein interactions through the formation of salt bridges between myofibrils and divalent calcium ions [12].…”