The impact of ice slurry as a medium on oxidation status and flesh quality of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during refrigeration storage

Abstract

AbstractOxidation of lipid and protein is a major reason of flesh quality deterioration during storage. In this work, cold storage (CS) and flake ice (FI) storage, as traditional strategies for live shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) sedation and refrigerated storage, showed remarkable oxidation damage of lipid and protein in shrimp flesh during storage. In contrast, ice slurry (IS), with good heat exchange capacity and contactability, stunned shrimp in a sudden and thus relieved antemortem stress, which resulted in reducing the reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species accumulation, and the oxidation damage risk in flesh. Additionally, IS, as a storage medium acted an oxygen barrier, further inhibited the oxidation of lipid and myofibrillar protein (MP), as revealed by the lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances level, carbonyl (CO) derives content, total disulfide bond (S–S) content, and the higher total sulfhydryl (SH) content in shrimp flesh during storage, compared with CS and FI. The sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis electrophoretogram pattern of MP also suggested better preservation of myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain, actin, and tropomyosin in IS, whereas these proteins degraded in CS and FI. Consequently, IS prevented the formation of cross‐linking caused by oxidation in MP, leading to improved shrimp flesh quality during refrigerated storage, as demonstrated by the better maintained hardness, springiness, and water‐holding capacity compared to CS and FI.