Abstract
A transglutaminase-free actomyosin was prepared from Alaska pollack frozen surimi and various physico-chemical properties were investigated on the suwari gel prepared from it. The elastic modulus and viscosity of the gel increased rapidly at the initial stage of setting from the starting surimi, up to 70-80% value of the suwari gel, and gradually decreased after setting for 10 h. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the gel revealed that a band due to myosin heavy chain gradually decreased as the setting progressed and the bands due to myosin heavy chain polymers increased somewhat. These findings suggest that both the setting of the surimi paste and the aggregation of myosin heavy chain still proceed even without transglutaminase.
