Brackish water stabilizes textural quality by regulating muscle protein properties of Eriocheir sinensis during temporary fattening.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of brackish-water temporary rearing on the textural quality of raw muscle and cooked meat of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. Brackish-water stabilized the textural quality of raw muscle (82.22 ± 2.19 mm min-1) and suppressed the increase in tenderness of cooked meat (51.07 ± 3.80 mm min-1) during 2 weeks of temporary rearing. The morphology of muscle bundles has a greater influence on tenderness than the morphology of thick microfilaments. Phosphoproteomic analysis showed that the differentially phosphorylated proteins were predominantly glycolytic enzymes, myofibrillar proteins, and cytoskeletal proteins, which explains the differences in raw muscle tenderness. Phosphoglucose convertase-1, pyruvate kinase, glycogen phosphorylase, myosin heavy chain, and paramyosin may serve as potential markers for assessing the textural quality of raw muscle. Brackish-water temporary rearing for 2 weeks stabilized textural fluctuations in raw muscle and cooked meat by regulating muscle protein properties of E. sinensis. This study provides a theoretical reference for the improvement of the texture of freshwater aquaculture species. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.