Effects of Conservation Method and Time on Fatty Acid Composition, Taste, and Microstructure of Southern King Crab (Lithodes santolla Molina, 1782) Meat

Abstract

This study reports the changes in fatty acids, taste, and microstructure of cooked southern king crab meat (Lithodes santolla) during storage at 0°C for 10 days and at −20°C for 90 days. At the end of both storage times, the iodine value decreased by 16.5%, while 83.5% of the initial fatty acid quality remained unchanged. The polyene ratio decreased by 32% at 0°C and 35.9% at −20°C, whereas the atherogenic and thrombotic indices remained at values that do not represent any risk to human health. Free amino acids that contribute to taste (taste activity value, TAV > 1) were: glycine and alanine (sweetness), arginine (bittersweetness), and histidine (bitterness). The bittersweet taste imparted by arginine (initial TAV = 16.4) was prevalent even at the end of frozen storage (TAV = 7.9). The umami taste was elicited by disodium 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) nucleotide. The equivalent umami concentration in g MSG/100 g meat changed from 0.031 to 0.045 in refrigerated samples and to 1.6 in frozen samples. A loss of the original fibrous structure of the meat was evidenced during both treatments. Refrigerated samples presented a disintegrated and homogeneous texture at 10 days, while freezing formed a spongy tissue at 90 days.