Abstract: Mixed gels were prepared from silver carp surimi with the addition of 0.3% transglutaminase (TG) and precocious crab meat. The effects of crab meat proportion, gelation time and gelation temperature on gel strength and water-holding capacity (WHC) were investigated in this study. By employing a combination of one-factor-at-a-time method and response surface methodology based on a three-variable, three-level Box-Behnken design, the optimal processing conditions were obtained as follows: crab meat ratio 10%, gelation time 3.0 h, and gelation temperature 35 ℃. The results of verification experiments demonstrated that compared with traditional fish sausage, the mixed gel strength significantly increased (P < 0.05), along with a slight reduction in WHC (P > 0.05). In the presence of TG, the band intensity of myosin heavy chain (MHC) decreased and the surface of mixed gels became more uniform and compact, as indicated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively.

Key words: surimi, crab meat, transglutaminase, gel properties, mixed gels