Protein structural changes, volatile flavor evolution and microbial community succession in
6 affiliations
- 1Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
- 2Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China; Corresponding author at: No. 1, Haida South Road, Lincheng Changzhi Island, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province 316022, China.
- 3Longyou Aquaculture Development Center, Agricultural and Rural Bureau of Longyou County, Quzhou 324400, China
- 4Zhejiang Yulaoda Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., Quzhou 324400, China
- 5Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
- 6Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood of Zhejiang Province, College of Food Science and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy; Corresponding author at: FishLab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy.
Abstract
Chinese hook snout carp ( Opsariichthys bidens ) deteriorates readily during postharvest transport, yet the interplay between muscle protein degradation, volatile flavor formation, and microbial metabolism under realistic transportation conditions remains poorly understood. This is the first study to systematically investigate the correlation between protein structural changes and microbial metabolism in Chinese hook snout carp during refrigerated transport simulating natural conditions at 4 °C, 16 °C, and 32 °C. Elevated temperatures accelerate myofibrillar protein denaturation. Compared with fresh samples, α-helix content decreases by approximately 8.5% under 32 °C for 24 h, while random coil content increases by 12.3%, accompanied by reduced water-holding capacity (moisture content declining from 81.64% to 74.92%). Flavor profiles are dominated by aldehydes at 4 °C, whereas sulfur compounds, indole, and pyridines gradually accumulate with rising temperature, and severe flavor deterioration occurs within only 12 h at 32 °C. Low-temperatures enriched psychrotrophic Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas , whereas elevated temperatures promoted diverse mesophilic spoilage bacteria with enhanced amino acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism. Transport temperature serves as the primary driver of quality loss, with storage duration exerting cumulative amplification effects. Our findings provide correlation-based insights into temperature-dependent quality deterioration that can inform cold-chain optimization strategies.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026protein,
title = {{Protein structural changes, volatile flavor evolution and microbial community succession in}},
author = {Jinzeng Wang and Lin Xu and Xiaoguo Ying and Shanggui Deng and Jin Yu and Xudong Weng and Martina Sartoni and Alessandra Guidi and Jixiang Zhang},
journal = {Food Chemistry: X},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104653},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104653},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Protein structural changes, volatile flavor evolution and microbial community succession in
AU - Jinzeng Wang
AU - Lin Xu
AU - Xiaoguo Ying
AU - Shanggui Deng
AU - Jin Yu
AU - Xudong Weng
AU - Martina Sartoni
AU - Alessandra Guidi
AU - Jixiang Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/24
JO - Food Chemistry: X
DO - 10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104653
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104653
AB - Chinese hook snout carp ( Opsariichthys bidens ) deteriorates readily during postharvest transport, yet the interplay between muscle protein degradation, volatile flavor formation, and microbial metabolism under realistic transportation conditions remains poorly understood. This is the first study to systematically investigate the correlation between protein structural changes and microbial metabolism in Chinese hook snout carp during refrigerated transport simulating natural conditions at 4 °C, 16 °C, and 32 °C. Elevated temperatures accelerate myofibrillar protein denaturation. Compared with fresh samples, α-helix content decreases by approximately 8.5% under 32 °C for 24 h, while random coil content increases by 12.3%, accompanied by reduced water-holding capacity (moisture content declining from 81.64% to 74.92%). Flavor profiles are dominated by aldehydes at 4 °C, whereas sulfur compounds, indole, and pyridines gradually accumulate with rising temperature, and severe flavor deterioration occurs within only 12 h at 32 °C. Low-temperatures enriched psychrotrophic Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas , whereas elevated temperatures promoted diverse mesophilic spoilage bacteria with enhanced amino acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism. Transport temperature serves as the primary driver of quality loss, with storage duration exerting cumulative amplification effects. Our findings provide correlation-based insights into temperature-dependent quality deterioration that can inform cold-chain optimization strategies.
SN - 2590-1575
ER -