Effects of the mixture of xylooligosaccharides and egg white protein on the physicochemical properties, conformation, and gel-forming ability of Culter alburnus myofibrillar protein during multiple freeze-thaw cycles.

This study focuses on the effect of the mixture (XO/EW) of xylooligosaccharides (XO) and egg white protein (EW) on the physicochemical properties, conformation, and gel-forming ability of Culter alburnus myofibrillar proteins (MP) during multiple freeze-thaw (FT) cycles. In our methodology, MP samples added with EW, XO, or XO/EW mixture (1%, v/ v) are prepared, and after multiple FT cycles, the XO or XO/EW-treated samples show significant (p < 0.05) inhibition on the decrease of sulfhydryl content and the increase of carbonyl content of MP. Compared with EW, XO or XO/EW could delay the increase of surface hydrophobicity and the decline of secondary and tertiary structural properties of MP, indicating that XO or XO/EW could more effectively increase the stability of MP conformation. Meanwhile, XO/EW could more effectively reduce the decrease of gel strength and gel water holding capacity, and the increase in the T₂ relaxation time...