Effect of antifreeze proteins on the freeze-thaw cycle of foods: fundamentals, mechanisms of action, current challenges and recommendations for future work

Recent advances, challenges and functional applications of antifreeze protein in food industry

“…In the antifreeze polypeptide from winter flounder, four Thr residues were replaced by 1–4 serine, isothionine, or valine residues, and their structure remained unchanged. However, the replacement of Thr with serine resulted in a complete loss of antifreeze activity (Tirado‐Kulieva et al ., 2022). However, in another study, the antifreeze activity was not affected after the Thr linked to the glycosidic bond of the antifreeze glycopeptide was replaced by arginine (Schrag et al ., 1982).…”

“…Ramsay observed a difference between the freezing and melting points of Tenebrio molitor rectal fluid, the first time antifreezing activity has been observed in arthropods. This phenomenon was later called thermal hysteresis (TH) (Tirado-Kulieva et al, 2022). Grimstone et al (1968) showed that TH activity was caused by a protein.…”

“…The ice crystal area and equivalent diameter were also significantly smaller than those of chicken without AFP. Similarly, beef after soaking in AFP solution can also obtain better frost resistance (Tirado‐Kulieva et al ., 2022). The specific antifreeze effect depends on the protein concentration and soaking time.…”

“…However, improper use of equipment and methods during freezing, transportation or thawing can undermine the quality of food. In plant tissues, ice crystals formed during these processes can adversely affect cellular matter, leading to the destruction of cellular structures, weakened intracellular adhesions, loss of turgor pressure and softening of tissues, such as freezing and thawing, causing irreversible loss of turgor pressure and water holding capacity of fruits and vegetables (Ghalamara et al ., 2022; Tirado‐Kulieva et al ., 2022). The myofibrils of meat tissue and its surrounding connective tissue can be broken by the influence of large ice crystals.…”

Cryoprotective Effects and Quality Maintenance of Antifreeze Proteins and Peptides on Aquatic Products: A Review

“…This mechanism is often termed the ‘adsorption-inhibition’ mechanism [ 6 , 10 ]. Nevertheless, the widespread application of AFPs in the food industry has been hampered by the limited quantities of AFPs that can be obtained through natural extraction and tedious purification [ 11 ]. As a consequence, there has been growing research focusing on antifreeze peptides devised from food proteins, particularly from food processing leftovers.…”