Abstract: In order to improve the quality of surimi products, the effects of safflower seed oil emulsion (10 mL/100 g) loaded with resveratrol on the gel properties, microstructure and oxidative stability of Nemipterus virgatus surimi gel were investigated, and the effects of resveratrol addition at different levels (0.1%?0.3%) on the quality of surimi gels were compared. The results showed that the whiteness, water-holding capacity and bound water content of N. virgatus surimi gel were increased by adding safflower seed oil emulsion, together with an improvement in the texture characteristics and a decrease in the cooking loss percentage (P < 0.05). In addition, the pore size of the three-dimensional network structure of the gel was reduced. The distribution of oil droplets in the gel matrix with safflower seed oil emulsion was not uniform, the average diameter of oil droplets was great than 2.0 μm, and the oxidation of oil increased with storage time (P < 0.05). Furthermore, after adding safflower seed oil emulsion loaded with resveratrol, the whiteness and water-holding capacity were significantly increased together with a decrease in the cooking loss percentage (P < 0.05) and a significant enhancement in the texture and oil oxidation stability of the gel (P < 0.05). Resveratrol still had strong antioxidant activity in the surimi gel matrix. Resveratrol could contribute to the emulsification of safflower seed oil, making fine oil droplets be evenly distributed in the gel matrix, and the interaction between resveratrol and proteins in surimi promoted the formation of gel networks. The average diameter of oil droplets in the emulsion with 0.3% resveratrol was less than 1.5 μm, and the three-dimensional network structure of the gel with 0.3% resveratrol exhibited the smallest pore size and a uniform and dense spatial hierarchy. Therefore, safflower seed oil emulsion loaded with resveratrol could improve the gel characteristics of N. virgatus surimi and enhance the oxidative stability of the gel, which will be useful for the development of new surimi products.

Key words: Nemipterus virgatus surimi; safflower seed oil emulsion; resveratrol; gel texture; microstructure; oxidation stability