Abstract:
In order to explore the effect of short-term micro-flow water treatment on the muscle taste quality of bighead carp (
Aristichthys nobilis) cultured in ponds, the micro-flow device was used to treat bighead carp in ponds. The treatment times were set as 0, 2d, 4d, 6d, 8d, and 10d. The contents of moisture, protein, lipid, ash, free amino acids, free fatty acids, nucleotides and betaine, and the sensory analysis of the treated bighead carp muscle were determined to get an appropriate treatment time. The results showed that with the extension of the micro-flow water treatment time, the total free amino acid content, adenosine monophosphate content, and betaine content in the bighead carp muscle increased first and then decreased, and the contents of them were the highest at the 6
th day of the treatment. While the content of lipid, the total free fatty acid, hypoxanthine riboside (HxR), and hypoxanthine (Hx) gradually decreased. The content of protein showed no significant change during the treatment. Taste analyzer (electronic tongue) and sensory analysis showed that the micro-flow water treatment significantly improved the umami and sweet taste of bighead carp muscle, and reduced the saltiness, bitterness, and fishy taste. In addition, the sensory score of the taste of bighead carp muscle was the highest at the 6
th day of treatment. Therefore, the short-term micro-flow water treatment could significantly improve the muscle taste quality of bighead carp without reducing the nutritional quality, and the appropriate treatment time was 6 days.