Particle size effect of defatted rice bran on the gel properties and flavor of silver carp surimi gels

This study evaluated the impact of defatted rice bran (DRB) particle sizes (103.67-6.04 μm) on the gel properties and flavor of silver carp surimi gels. Decreasing DRB particle size significantly enhanced gel strength and water holding capacity (WHC). Specifically, DRB particles sized 12.83 and 6.04 μm increased the breaking force by 33.6% and 35.2%, respectively; deformation by 21.8% and 22.7%; and WHC by 12.38% and 13.20%. During two-stage heating, fine DRB induced ordered protein aggregation and facilitated the conformational transition from α-helix and random coil to β-sheet. DRB particles influenced the gel network structure mainly through filling and their interaction with proteins. Large particles impeded the orderly cross-linking of proteins to the detriment of the orderliness of the gel network, but fine particles brought a significant reduction of this negative effect. The addition of fine DRB facilitated the formation of a denser and more homogeneous gel network, transforming free water into immobile water. The dense gel structure also suppressed the release of fishy odor compounds, and the aroma of DRB masked the fishy smell. These findings suggest that micronized DRB improves surimi gel properties and flavor, offering new possibilities for its application in food processing.