title: Alteration of the electrophoretic pattern of myofibrillar proteins in fish mince during frozen storage.
abstract: A study was made of the variations in the electrophoretic profile of myofibrillar proteins in the muscles of blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou R.), horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus L.) and mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.). It was shown that all species presented different deterioration patterns during frozen storage. The fish were caught at two separate times of the year (winter and summer) and were stored frozen at -18 degrees C for 1 year. The results indicate that during frozen storage, electrophoretic patterns varied according to species. Comparison of myosin heavy chain/actin (MHC/A) ratios indicates that blue whiting is the species that undergoes most alteration, and that this is more intense in fish caught in the summer than in the winter. Alteration of the MHC/A ratio was similar in horse mackerel and mackerel caught in the winter, whereas in the summer horse mackerel proved to be the most stable species. In all cases, the reduction of the MHC/A ratio was due essentially to alteration of the MHC, an effect which was particularly marked in blue whiting. Tropomyosin remained stable throughout the storage period in all three species.
authors.affiliation: Instituto del Frío (C.S.I.C.), Cuidad Universitaria s/n, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huidobro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tejada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004589:Electrophoresis, Disc / Q000379:methods; D005399:Fishes; D005628:Frozen Foods; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry*; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins