Samantekt:
The gelation properties of protein isolates extracted from tilapia muscle with acid and alkali-aided processing were compared to washed tilapia muscle. Gels were prepared with and without the addition of 2% NaCl (w/w) slightly above neutral pH and gelation properties and gel quality were determined using various procedures. Hardness and elasticity of gels as assessed by torsion testing was improved using 2% NaCl (w/w) compared to treatments without salt. Small strain oscillatory testing showed that storage modulus (G′) of gel pastes prior to thermal gelation was significantly higher in the absence of salt, while smaller differences were seen after thermal gelation. Small strain oscillatory tests demonstrated a different gel forming mechanism for acid and alkali treated proteins compared to washed muscle. Fold tests demonstrated that acid treated proteins and washed muscle had significantly lower gel quality compared to alkali treated proteins. Addition of salt in gels improved gel water-holding capacity for acid and alkali treated proteins. Overall, the acid treated proteins exhibited poorer gelling ability compared to alkali treated proteins. Total content of SH-groups was measured before and after gelation and S–S bonding did not explain the difference in gel forming ability of different treatments. The results indicate that the alkali-aided process can be used to produce high quality protein gels from tilapia muscle suitable for manufacturing of imitation seafood products.