Suppressive Effect of Phosphatidylcholine on the Thermal Gelation of Alaska Pollack Surimi

Addition of phospholipid (PL) significantly lowered the breaking force and deformation of the thermal gel of Alaska pollack surimi by suppressing the setting, while triglyceride (TG) did not affect the gelation profile. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) was responsible for the inhibitory effect of PL on setting. Neither choline nor phosphorylcholine had such an effect. PL addition did not inhibit the cross-linking reaction of the myosin heavy chain occurring in the setting process at all. It was, therefore, concluded that the amphipathic property of PC was required to inhibit the setting and that noncovalent bonds necessary for network formation in the set gel might be interfered by PL in a liposome-like form.