University of Management and Technology, Lahore

Seafood processing 3(2-1)

Seafood Processing
FT-405

Dr. Momna Rubab

School of Food and Agricultural Sciences

1
Post-mortem changes in fish muscle due to
autolytic degradation
Postmortem Changes
▪ Live fish muscle is relaxed and elastic
▪ Immediately, after death rigor mortis sets in, then the whole
body becomes inflexible and rigid
▪ The onset of rigor depends upon the temperature of the
fish, particularly temperatures between water and storage
▪ The greater the difference, the shorter the time from death
to rigor and vice versa
▪ Aerobic respiration ceases and anaerobic oxidation of
glycogen leads to accumulation of lactic acid, resulting in a
drop in the muscle pH from about 6.8 – 6.5
Postmortem Changes
• The final pH depends upon the species and composition of
the animal
• During rigor, the loss of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) due
to autolytic degradation (about 1 µM/g tissue) results in a
stiffening of the muscle as a result of the irreversible
association of myosin and actin molecules
• Slime is formed in certain cells of fish skin (particularly so in
most freshwater fish) and the process becomes very active
just after death
• Slime contains large amounts of nitrogenous compounds
and these provide good nourishment for microorganisms
• Resolution of the rigor is a slow process essentially due to
the low pH-favored hydrolysis of actomyosin by acid
proteases such as cathepsins that are present in the muscle
Schematic representation of the postmortem events
occurring in fish muscle