Abstract: In this study, the effects of Pediococcus pentosaceus inoculation on the quality characteristics of snakehead surimi during fermentation were analyzed in comparison with natural fermentation. The quality of fermented surimi was evaluated in terms of pH, total acid, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), fatty acids, color difference, texture, amino acids and sensory scores. The results showed that pH declined and total acid content gradually increased during fermentation. After fermentation for 48 h, total acid content in the inoculated fermentation group increased by 52.29% when compared with that in the natural fermentation group. Compared with the natural fermentation group, the increase in TVB-N content was significantly inhibited in the inoculated fermentation group. The content of saturated fatty acids increased during natural fermentation, but decreased during inoculated fermentation. The content of monounsaturated fatty acids was lower while the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher in the inoculated fermentation group than in the natural fermentation group at the end of fermentation. The inoculated fermentation group showed an increase in L* value and the absolute values of hardness and adhesiveness, and increased the contents of total essential amino acids and umami amino acids in surimi samples and the essential amino acid index from 73.9 to 74.8. After fermentation for 48 h, the scores for odor, color and overall acceptability in the inoculated fermentation group were higher than those in the natural fermentation group, which were significantly correlated with quality characteristics. Therefore, the quality of snakehead surimi can be better improved by fermentation with P. pentosaceus.

Key words: snakehead; surimi; Pediococcus pentosaceus; fermentation; quality