Rice bran oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by Amur catfish myofibrillar protein: Characteristics and its application in surimi gels.

The objective of this investigation was to isolate amur catfish myofibrillar protein (AMP), emulsify it with rice bran oil, and assess its application in the silver carp surimi gel. The proportion and addition of AMP/rice bran oil emulsion on the gel properties were compared. The emulsion stabilized by 3 % AMP was stable when an oil/water ratio of 0.70 and 0.75 was employed, as evidenced by its appearance, microstructure, and rheological characteristics. The L*, a* and whiteness values of gels observably elevated when the emulsion blended (p < 0.05). The mechanical capacities (texture and rheology indicators) of surimi gels were dramatically improved with 5 % emulsion added (p < 0.05). However, the addition of excessive emulsion (up to 15 %) impeded the formation of surimi protein network and lowered water retention ability of surimi gels. Moreover, 5 % emulsion was distributed uniformly throughout the gel matrix, giving rise to the development of a dense and uniform network with high water binding capacity. Furthermore, the study on protein solubility expressed that the addition of the emulsion facilitated protein-protein interactions in surimi gels. In summary, the addition of 5 % AMP stabilized rice bran oil emulsion could yield a stronger surimi gel with increased whiteness. The resulting gels could serve as healthy fat-rich surimi-based products.