Effect of high-pressure treatments on mechanical and functional properties of restructured products from arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias)

Restructured fish products from arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), an abundant and subutilized species from the Gulf of Alaska, were obtained by hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) at 400 and 600 MPa with 0-5 min pressure-holding time. Minced fish meat was massaged with 20 g kg^-1 salt at 10°C during 5 min, stuffed in commercial sausage case and HPP-treated. Raw and cooked (90°C for 15 min) pressure-treated gels were characterized by changes in mechanical properties (texture profile analysis and punch test), protein solubility, electrophoretic profile, expressible water and color. The mechanical properties of raw fish gels increased with pressure level and pressure-holding time while solubility decreased. Myosin aggregation shown by SDS-PAGE was associated with changes in mechanical and functional properties. The values for mechanical properties of heat-induced gels were higher in cooked pressure-treated samples than in the heat-only control.