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Updated: Jun 4, 2025
LabVIEW-operated Novel Nanoliter Osmometer for Ice Binding Protein Investigations
Published on: February 4, 2013
Interaction of L-proline with water and ice: Implications for Litopenaeus Vannamei Cryoprotection during temperature
Yejun Zhang1, Yongzhen Wang1, Hao Dong2
1State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing and Safety Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, PR China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Qingdao 266404, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biological Processing of Aquatic Products, China National Light Industry, Qingdao 266404, PR China.
Abstract:
Temperature fluctuations can negatively affect the quality of frozen shrimp. Research on novel cryoprotectants to replace traditional agents (phosphate, etc.) has become a hotspot. Our results indicated that L-Proline could reduce thawing losses, delay texture deterioration and improve the functional properties of myofibrillar proteins of shrimp. Thawing loss in the proline group (3.2 %) was significantly lower than that in the control (5.4 %) after 3 freeze-thaw cycles (p < 0.05). Compared to Na4P2O7, proline had better permeability and greater ability to inhibit ice crystal growth and volume expansion. Through molecular simulations, we found that proline might inhibit ice crystal formation by forming glassy states with water. Hydrogen bonding between proline and water/ice played a major role, and only a small amount of proline was required to significantly reduce the ice crystal growth rate from 0.16 m/s to 0.06 m/s. Briefly, proline exhibited potential as a cryoprotectant for shrimp in temperature fluctuations.
