# Modification of Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius) Surimi Gels by Three Anionic Polysaccharides

## TL;DR

This study shows how adding three types of anionic polysaccharides improves the texture and water-holding ability of Spanish mackerel surimi gels.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan, and gellan gum in enhancing surimi gel properties.

## Key findings

- Polysaccharides improved gel and textural properties by 24.9–103.4%, with κ-carrageenan and ι-carrageenan being more effective than gellan gum.
- Polysaccharides increased water-holding capacity by 10.7–13.1% and enhanced thermal stability of surimi gels.
- The microstructure of the gels became more homogeneous due to hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds.

## Abstract

This study investigated the gel performance of Spanish mackerel surimi gels (SMSGs) modified by three anionic polysaccharides: κ-carrageenan (KC), ι-carrageenan (IC), and gellan gum (GG). By incorporating polysaccharides, SMSGs showed a 24.9–103.4% improvement in gel and textural properties, in which KC and IC had more improvement effects than GG. Moreover, polysaccharides led to a 10.7–13.1% increment in WHC, a shortened water migration from 61.34 to 52.43–55.93 ms in T22, and enhanced thermal stability of SMSGs. The content of α-helix in SMSGs reduced markedly accompanied by a concurrent enhancement of β-sheet and β-turn by adding polysaccharides, where β-sheet and β-turn are positively correlated with hardness being favorable for gelling. The microstructure of SMSGs/polysaccharides showed a homogeneous network mainly due to hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds in SMSG-based gels. This study will demonstrate the effectiveness of KC, IC, and GG in improving the texture and functionality as well as expanding the application of surimi products.