Efficient thawing can preserve the quality of frozen hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) close to that of fresh hairtail. In contrast to air thawing (AT) and radio-frequency thawing (RT), this study looked at how graphene oxide (GO) and graphene magnetic (GM) nanoparticles paired with RT affect the microstructure and protein conformation of hairtails after thawing. The results suggested that GM-RT can reduce the myofibrillar protein (MP) damage and be more effective than other thawing treatments, like AT, RT, and GO-RT, in maintaining the microstructure of hairtail. The particle size and zeta potential showed that GM-RT could reduce the aggregation of MP during the thawing process compared to other thawing methods. Moreover, the texture of the hairtail after GM-RT exhibited higher hardness (1185.25 g), elasticity (2.25 mm), and chewiness (5.75 mJ) values compared to other thawing treatments. Especially compared with RT, the GM-RT treatment displayed significant improvements in hardness (27.24%), a considerable increase in springiness (92.23%), and an increase in chewiness (57.96%). GO-RT and GM-RT significantly reduced the centrifugal loss. The scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that the effect of GM-RT was more akin to that of a fresh sample (FS) and characterized by a well-organized microstructure. In conclusion, GM-RT effectively diminished the MP aggregation and improved the texture of thawed fish. It can be regarded as a viable alternative thawing technique to enhance MP stability, which is vital for preserving meat quality.

Various volatile compounds are responsible for the odor changes in fish during storage. In this study, a coupled headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical approach was applied to characterize the volatile compounds in large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) during storage under three treatments: cold storage (CS), slurry ice (SI), and crushed ice (CI). A total of 24 volatile substances were identified, including aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols. Multivariate statistical analyses (PCA, PLS-DA, VIP, and cluster heatmap) revealed significant differences in volatile compounds between the treatment groups during storage, and 10 key volatiles along with 5 potential biomarker compounds were identified. The underlying mechanisms of volatile changes were further investigated by analyzing three key pathways: thermal reactions, lipid oxidation, and amino acid degradation. Notably, SI treatment better avoid volatile compound variation in large yellow croaker.