Effects of Rested Harvesting on Muscle Metabolite Concentrations and K-Values in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Fillets during Storage at 15 °C

• Published in: Journal of food science 2010-06, Vol.75 (5), p.C459-C464
• Main Authors: Tuckey, Nicholas P.L, Forster, Malcolm E, Gieseg, Steven P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphatase; animal stress; aquaculture; ATP; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Chinook salmon; Cold storage; fillet storage; Fish and seafood industries; fish fillets; fisheries; food analysis; food composition; Food industries; Food quality; Food science; food storage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; K-value; K-values; Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; Potassium; rested harvest; rested harvesting; resting metabolic rate; Salmon; seafoods; storage quality; tissue analysis
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01648.x

Improvement of harvesting procedures in aquaculture may also improve the quality and storage properties of the fish. The use of an anesthetic allows fish to be harvested with reduced stress and exhaustion, which affect fillet properties. We report here on the effects of rested harvesting on the postharvest metabolic profiles and K-values in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fillets stored near to the fish's acclimation temperature at 15 °C for 36 h. Fresh rested fillets were obtained by anesthesia with AQUI-S[trade mark sign]. They had high cut surface pHs (7.63) and high concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (3.75 and 8.73 μmol g⁻¹ respectively), which depleted over 12 h. In contrast, fresh exhausted fillets had low cut surface pHs (6.66) and ATP and creatine phosphate were depleted. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) concentrations also remained significantly higher during the first 12 h of storage in rested fillets. In fresh rested fillets inosine monophosphate (IMP) concentrations reached maximum after 12 h storage (4.78 μmol g⁻¹), whereas maximum IMP concentrations occurred immediately postharvest in the exhausted fillets (6.42 μmol g⁻¹). After 36 h storage, K-values in exhausted fillets reached 52.11% compared to 19.27% in rested fillets. Rested harvesting of Chinook salmon improved the fillets' metabolic potential postharvest, extending metabolite depletion times, changing IMP concentrations and reducing K-values. This study shows that an improved metabolic potential is maintained in salmon fillets from fish harvested in a rested state (that is, with no stress and exhaustion) using an isoeugenol based anesthetic (AQUI-S[trade mark sign]). Improved understanding of postharvest metabolic function may help to improve quality and storage properties of high value fish tissues.