Effects of triple-frequency orthogonal ultrasound-assisted freezing on the quality properties of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)
Weihao Yang, Zhilong Xu, Jun Mei, Jing Xie
Abstract
Ultrasound-assisted freezing (UAF) is a new freezing technology that combines ultrasonic sound field with immersion freezing. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of triple-frequency orthogonal ultrasound-assisted freezing (TOUAF) on the quality of large yellow croaker ( Larimichthys crocea ). The results showed that TOUAF at horizontal 20 and 28 kHz + vertical 40 kHz (TOUAF-20(H)28(H)40(V)) significantly increased the freezing rate, enhanced the water holding capacity (83.68%), and effectively minimized water migration. TOUAF-20(H)28(H)40(V) effectively reduced the TBA (0.084 mg MDA/kg) and TVB-N value (9.65 mg N/100 g), which improved the solubility of proteins, reduced the surface hydrophobicity, and effectively protected the structural integrity of proteins and reduced protein aggregation. It can effectively slow down lipid oxidation and protein degradation. The research showed that TOUAF could effectively slow down the quality degradation of frozen yellow croaker compared with horizontal multi-frequency ultrasound freezing which is more commonly used at present. • TOUAF combines multi-frequency UAF with orthogonal modes. • TOUAF significantly increases the freezing rate. • TOUAF improves the quality of frozen large yellow croaker. • TOUAF-20(H)28(H)40(V) reduces negative effects including thermal effects.