Microbial Transglutaminase and Recombinant Cystatin Effects on Improving the Quality of Mackerel Surimi

Effects of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase), recombinant cystatin, or their combination on the gel properties of mackerel surimi were investigated. The addition of MTGase caused the cross-linking of myosin heavy chain (MHC) and substantially increased the gel strength (from 536.6 to 2012.4 g × cm), while the recombinant cystatin could effectively prevent the MHC degradation and gel softening during the production of mackerel surimi-based products. Combined use of MTGase and recombinant cystatin revealed synergistic effectiveness on improving the quality of mackerel surimi (increased from 435 to 2438 g × cm, set at 45 °C for 20 min).