Effects of different pH values and monovalent/divalent cations in washing on the physicochemical characteristics of silver carp surimi gel

The objective of this study was to investigate the gel strength, chemical interactions, water distribution, SDS-PAGE and rheological characteristics of surimi washed with different pH values and monovalent/divalent cations. There was higher gel strength in surimi washed with monovalent cations at pH 3.0 or 7.0 and divalent cations at pH 3.0 or 9.0. More divalent cations in the washing delayed surimi protein denaturation. Myosin heavy chain and actin were more intense in surimi washed with 0.25% Na+ or 0.5% other cations. The gel relaxation time was shortened in surimi washed with an increased ionic strength. The gel disulfide bond was decreased in surimi washed at pH 3.0 or 9.0, whereas hydrophobic interactions and ionic and hydrogen bonds were increased in those at pH 5.0 or 7.0. In general, washing with different pH values and monovalent/divalent cations could significantly influence the gel network structure of surimi.