Biochemical and Physicochemical Characteristics of Muscle and Natural Actomyosin Isolated from Young Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Fillets Stored at 0 and 4 °C

The impact of storage of fillets at 0 and 4 °C within 3.5 h postmortem was studied. Extractability of natural actomyosin (NAM) increased over the first 2 to 3 d, then decreased as storage progressed. Water-binding capacity of fish muscle and apparent viscosity of NAM decreased in the first 2 to 3 d and increased progressively thereafter. Reactive sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity were lowest at 3 d, whereas disulfide content was highest at 2 and 14 d. Water-binding capacity at 2 d and NAM extractability at 5 to 7 d were significantly higher, whereas viscosity, hydrophobicity, and sulfhydryl content were generally lower for fillets stored at 0 than at 4 °C.