Effect of Acute Cold Stress on Preserving the Freshness of Large Yellow Croaker Under Ice-Temperature and Frozen Storage

The preservation of harvested fish is important in fisheries production. To investigate the effect of acute cold stress on preserving the freshness of large yellow croaker, which has the highest expression of ISP2 mRNA in its muscle, under ice-temperature storage and frozen storage, acute cold stress durations were investigated first. According to the results of the above test, large yellow croakers were subjected to acute cold stress for 40 min, followed by ice-temperature storage or frozen storage. The K values, sensory attributes, and protein compositions of large yellow croaker under ice-temperature storage or frozen storage for different durations were investigated in this study. The results showed that acute cold stress treatment affects the ice-temperature storage and frozen storage of large yellow croaker. In the muscle of large yellow croaker under ice-temperature storage for 1, 2, 3, and 5 d, the K values of the acute cold stress groups were significantly lower than those of the control groups (not subjected to acute cold stress). In the muscle of large yellow croaker under frozen storage, the sensory evaluation scores of the acute cold stress groups were greater than those of the control group until a storage time of 60 d. With an extension of frozen storage, there were changes in the contents of myofibrillar protein, myogen, muscle matrix protein, and alkali-soluble protein. The myofibrillar protein, myogen, and muscle matrix protein contents of the acute cold stress groups were greater than those of the control groups after short-term frozen storage, while the alkali-soluble protein contents of the acute cold stress groups were lower than those of the control groups, except for durations of 1, 3, 15, 19, and 22 d. In addition, the K values of the acute cold stress groups were significantly lower than those of the control groups after frozen storage for 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 15, 19, and 22 d. The results indicate that treatment with acute cold stress for 40 min affects the preservation of large yellow croaker.