Decoding the textural deterioration of ready-to-eat shrimp: Insights from dynamic myofibrillar protein changes during...

Previous research has indicated a noticeable decline in the textural properties of ready-to-eat shrimp after thermal sterilization. However, the specific deterioration pattern of these textural properties during thermal sterilization remains unclear. This study investigated the dynamic changes of myofibrillar protein during thermal sterilization and their relationship with the textural properties of ready-to-eat shrimp. The primary textural attributes, including hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and responsiveness, initially decreased, followed by an increase and a subsequent decrease during sterilization. With the extension of sterilization time, protein oxidation increased, leading to protein unfolding, cross-linking, and aggregate formation. The content of ordered α-helix decreased by 22.35 %, and the content of random coil increased by 21.5 %, indicating the re-degradation of protein aggregates during the final stage of thermal sterilization. Observations from fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed significant aggregation and degradation of protein particles during sterilization. Therefore, the aggregation and degradation of myofibrillar protein are the primary factors contributing to the changes in the textural properties of the shrimp during thermal sterilization. These findings provide valuable insights for quality control measures in processing ready-to-eat shrimp.