• The salinity of depuration affected the characteristic flavor of the Pacific oyster. • Aldehydes and ketones remarkably increased during depuration. • The equivalent umami concentration was highest at salinity of 29 g/L. • The optimum salinity for depuration was 29 g/L. • The taste-related substances were associated with Pacific oyster odor.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the gel properties and gelation mechanism of a surimi blend consisting of Katsuwonus pelamis and Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis. Superior gel properties, including gel strength, cooking loss and water holding capacity, were observed in mixed surimi. With increasing proportions of K. pelamis in the blend, an increase in hardness, gumminess and chewiness emerged, which compromised the resilience and whiteness of the gels. The detection of apparent viscosity revealed the shear-thinning properties of mixed surimi. The results of the molecular force measurements and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that heterogeneous myofibrillar proteins interacted into rigid protein aggregates with the help of enhanced hydrophobic interactions, subsequently increasing the values of G’ and G”. According to the FTIR spectrum, as the proportion of K. pelamis gradually increased, the protein secondary structure of surimi transitioned from a random coil to a β-sheet, facilitating the formation of a more ordered network structure. A marked improvement in the microstructure was observed via SEM. Therefore, the incorporation of surimi can be employed to optimize gel properties.

Food-borne bioactive peptides have shown promise in preventing and mitigating alcohol-induced liver injury. This study was the first to assess the novel properties of Mactra chinenesis peptides (MCPs) in mitigating acute alcoholic liver injury in mice, and further elucidated the underlying mechanisms associated with this effect. The results showed that MCPs can improve lipid metabolism by modulating the AMPK signaling pathway, decreasing fatty acid synthase activity, and increasing carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a activity. Meanwhile, MCPs ameliorate inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB activation, leading to reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β). Additionally, a 16S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed that MCPs can restore the balance of gut microbiota and increase the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. These findings suggest that supplementation of MCPs could attenuate alcohol intake-induced acute liver injury, and, thus, may be utilized as a functional dietary supplement for the successful treatment and prevention of acute liver injury.

In this study, we produced gelatin from Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) bone. We used three heating levels to obtain the gelatin (80 °C, 90 °C, 100 °C), and its physicochemical and gel characteristics were thoroughly examined. The results revealed that the extraction temperature significantly affected the yield, gel strength, amino acid composition, antioxidant activity, and microstructure of the gelatin. Gelatin obtained at 80 °C yielded 6.53% with peak gel strength (59.72 ± 4.67 g), whereas the gelatin extracted at 100 °C had the highest yield (23.24%) but the lowest gel strength (13.71 ± 3.78 g). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) scans of gelatin derived at different temperature levels showed subtle changes in the amide region, but all the samples presented the characteristic absorption peaks of gelatin. An amino acid analysis showed high glycine (18.51%) and proline (13.45%) contents in the gelatin. Antioxidant tests revealed that gelatin obtained at 80 °C displayed the greatest scavenging effects on DPPH, hydroxyl, and ABTS radicals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the gelatin made with lower temperatures showed a smoother and tighter microstructure. Rheological analyses revealed that higher extraction temperatures resulted in lower gel temperatures and melting temperatures and weaker gel network stability. The results of this study suggest that lower extraction temperatures are more suitable for the preparation of high-quality skipjack tuna bone gelatin, which gives scientific support for its application in food and medicine.