Study on the mechanism of hydrogen peroxide treatment on deodorizing fishy off-odor in skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) surimi gel

Skipjack tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis ) is low in fat and high in protein, but its strong fishy odor limits its use. H 2 O 2 is an effective, environmentally friendly oxidant that can be used in food processing. Moderate oxidation can weaken the fishy smell and improve the quality of surimi gel products. However, the conformational changes in myofibrillar proteins following H 2 O 2 treatment and the dynamic mechanism of the interaction between myofibrillar proteins and fishy off-odor substances remain unclear. Therefore, this article studied the effects of H 2 O 2 treatment on the quality and fishy taste of skipjack surimi gel, and mechanism of deodorization were further explored. The results showed that during the rinsing stage of surimi gel preparation, using 80 mM H 2 O 2 as a solvent to rinse fish meat significantly reduced the fishiness of surimi gel, and its texture and color are also improved. Molecular dynamics simulation results revealed that 80 mM H 2 O 2 treatment could weaken the binding ability between protein molecules and odorous small molecules (such as octanal and 1-octen-3-ol), allowing the release of fishy odor molecules during surimi gel preparation, thereby achieving the goal of deodorization. • 80 mM H 2 O 2 treatment had the best effects on fishy odor, color, and gel quality. • 80 mM H 2 O 2 rinsing caused moderate myofibrillar protein oxidation of surimi. • Gel strength and hardness of surimi were enhanced following H 2 O 2 addition. • 80 mM H 2 O 2 treatment inhibits the binding of myosin to octanal and 1-octen-3-ol.