The effects of microwave processing on the structure and various quality parameters of Alaska pollock surimi protein-polysaccharide gels

The effects of two heating methods on structure and various quality parameters of polysaccharide-protein mixed gels have been investigated in this study. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for the determination of the micromorphology, stretching, and dispersion of konjac glucomannan (KGM) chains in the proteins, and the microstructure of mixed gels. Double staining was used in this study to observe the microstructure and the interactions between the molecular chains of polysaccharides and proteins. Microwave-heated KGM chains were shown to have the higher rates of stretching, and they contributed to the formation of polysaccharide-protein network, while the polysaccharides in the water bath-heated gels were observed as aggregates inserted in proteins. Dynamic viscoelastic measurements showed that microwave-heated gels had considerably greater gel strength, and that the interactions between their molecular chains were much stronger. Additionally, microwave heating was shown to strengthen the texture properties and improve the water-holding capacity of the gels.