Effect of 6‐gingerol on physicochemical properties of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) surimi fortified with perilla oil during refrigerated storage

BACKGROUND Surimi is produced from deboned fish muscle through washing to remove blood, lipids, sarcoplasmic proteins and other impurities. There is an increasing interest in the fortification of surimi with ω‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids because of their health benefits. However, lipid oxidation should be considered as an important factor during storage. Hence, in this study, the quality properties and oxidative stability of surimi fortified with 30 g kg−1 perilla oil (PO), or 5 g kg−1 6‐gingerol (GI) or their combination (PO+GI) was investigated. RESULTS Perilla oil significantly improved whiteness of surimi gel, but negatively influenced its gel strength, water holding capacity (WHC) and texture. However, there was no significant difference in texture properties among GI, PO+GI and control groups. During the whole storage period, GI and PO+GI groups had higher gel strength and WHC than control and PO groups. Moreover, lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), carbonyl content and total plate count (TPC) were observed in GI group compared with other groups. CONCLUSION Perilla oil and 6‐gingerol could be applied together to effectively fortify surimi qualities. Additionally, 6‐gingerol could prevent lipid and protein oxidation and microbial growth of surimi during refrigerated storage.