Collagens for surimi gel fortification: Type-dependent effects and the difference between type I and type II

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Surimi-based products often exhibit suboptimal gel properties.
• Understanding protein interactions is key to improving surimi texture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of collagen addition on surimi gel properties.
• To investigate the influence of different collagen types (I and II) on surimi gel characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of surimi gels with and without collagen addition.
• Assessment of collagen type I versus type II effects on protein interactions and gel microstructure.
• Evaluation of water holding capacity and textural profiles of fortified surimi gels.

Main Results:

• Collagen type I demonstrated superior intertwining with surimi myofibrillar proteins compared to type II.
• Enhanced protein functional domain exposure and myosin conformational changes were observed with collagen I.
• Collagen I addition accelerated gelation, resulting in more compact surimi gel structures with smaller pores.
• Surimi gels fortified with collagen I exhibited improved water holding capacity and textural properties.

Conclusions:

• Collagen type I significantly enhances surimi gel properties due to better protein interactions.
• The elucidated mechanism of collagen-myofibrillar protein interaction provides a basis for using collagen as a food additive.
• Collagen type I shows promise for fortifying surimi products, improving their quality and marketability.