Tanja Kakko

To stop overfishing and meet the protein needs of a growing population, more information is needed on how to use marine by-catches, by-products, and undervalued fish species for human consumption. Turning them into protein powder is a sustainable and marketable way to add value. However, more knowledge of the chemical and sensory properties of commercial fish proteins is needed to identify the challenges in developing fish derivatives. This study aimed to characterize the sensory and chemical properties of commercial fish proteins to compare their suitability for human consumption. Proximate composition, protein, polypeptide and lipid profiles, lipid oxidation, and functional properties were analyzed. The sensory profile was compiled using generic descriptive analysis, and odor-active compounds were identified with gas-chromatography–mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS/O). Results indicated significant differences in chemical and sensory properties between processing methods but not between fish species. However, the raw material had some influence in the proteins’ proximate composition. Bitterness and fishiness were the main perceived off-flavors. All samples, apart from hydrolyzed collagen, had intense flavor and odor. Differences in odor-active compounds supported the sensory evaluation results. The chemical properties revealed that the lipid oxidation, peptide profile, and raw material degradation are likely affecting the sensory properties of commercial fish proteins. Limiting lipid oxidation during processing is crucial for the development of mild-tasting and -smelling products for human consumption.

Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) pickled in vinegar is a common product in the Nordic countries. Other weak acids are used to cook and preserve fish in other food cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of weak acids to produce safe and nutritious pickled fish products with varying sensory properties. The influence of acetic, citric, lactic, malic, and tartaric acids on the preservability and quality of pickled and marinated Baltic herring was studied by measuring microbiological quality, pH, chemical composition, and lipid oxidation and by sensory profiling. Pickling with these acids with pH levels of 3.7–4.2 resulted in pickled Baltic herring products with high microbiological quality. The results of the chemical analysis of the samples indicated that pickling and storage on marinade influenced the chemical composition of fish. The most significant changes in chemical composition were the increase in moisture and decrease in protein content of the samples during storage. Fat content decreased during the storage period in acetic acid and malic acid samples. All tested acids inhibited lipid oxidation for one month, but at three and four month time points, the content of oxidation products increased except in the samples pickled with tartaric acid. The highest oxidation level was observed in the case of citric acid and the lowest with tartaric acid. The results indicate that replacing acetic acid with other weak acids frequently used in the food industry results in pickled and marinated fish products with novel and milder sensory profiles.

Fractionation is a potential way to valorize under-utilized fishes, but the quality of the resulting fractions is crucial in terms of their applicability. The aim of this work was to study the quality of protein isolates and hydrolysates extracted from roach (Rutilus rutilus) and Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) using either pH shift or enzymatic hydrolysis. The amino acid composition of protein isolates and hydrolysates mostly complied with the nutritional requirements for adults, but protein isolates produced using pH shift showed higher essential to non-essential amino acid ratios compared with enzymatically produced hydrolysates, 0.84–0.85 vs. 0.65–0.70, respectively. Enzymatically produced protein hydrolysates had a lower total lipid content, lower proportion of phospholipids, and exhibited lower degrees of protein and lipid oxidation compared with pH-shift-produced isolates. These findings suggest enzymatic hydrolysis to be more promising from a lipid oxidation perspective while the pH-shift method ranked higher from a nutrient perspective. However, due to the different applications of protein isolates and hydrolysates produced using pH shift or enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively, the further optimization of both studied methods is recommended.

A new label-free molecular probe for luminescent nucleotide detection in neutral aqueous solution is presented. Phosphate-containing molecules, such as nucleotides possess vital role in cell metabolism, energy economy, and various signaling processes. Thus, the monitoring of nucleotide concentration and nucleotide related enzymatic reactions is of high importance. Two component lanthanide complex formed from Tb(III) ion carrier and light harvesting antenna, readily distinguishes nucleotides containing different number of phosphates and enable direct detection of enzymatic reactions converting nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) to nucleotide di/monophosphate or the opposite. Developed sensor enables the detection of enzymatic activity with a low nanomolar sensitivity, as highlighted with K-Ras and apyrase enzymes in their hydrolysis assays performed in a high throughput screening compatible 384-well plate format.