Contents of six types of imidazole compounds in five parts of pike conger Muraenesox cinereus caught in Hyuga-nada and time-course changes in the refrigerated muscle

We examined the contents of six imidazole compounds—balenine (Bal), carnosine (Car), anserine, histidine, 3-methylhistidine and 1-methylhistidine—in five parts of pike conger Muraenesox cinereus caught in Hyuga-nada. The results showed that the Bal and Car contents in the middle part of the trunk muscle were 329±69.6 µmol/100 g (n=6) and 979±227 µmol/100 g, respectively. Car content was higher on the trunk's head side, whereas Bal content was higher on the tail side. In the muscle refrigerated at 5℃, Car reduced to 2%, whereas Bal showed almost no change over time until day 3. These findings suggest that hydrolytic enzyme activity in pike conger muscle is high in Car and low in Bal.