Effects of Aqueous Extract of Zanthoxylum bungeanum on Gel Properties of Mandarin Fish (Siniperca chuatsi) Surimi Gel

In this study, the effect of Zanthoxylum bungeanum aqueous extract (ZBAE) with the addition of 0, 0.125%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0% on the characteristics of mandarin fish surimi gel, including water-holding capacity, gel strength, texture, whiteness, secondary structure and microstructure were performed. The results showed that the fish surimi gel's water-holding capacity, gel strength, hardness, and adhesion presented a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increasing of ZBAE, which had a maximum value of 0.25%. Also, FTIR analysis showed that α-helix, β-fold, and random coil structure exerted a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and the content of β-fold and α-helix both reached the highest value at 0.125% and 0.25%, respectively. SEM results showed that when adding 0.25% ZBAE, the network structure was more ordered and denser than that of the non-addition group, and the fractal dimension, average diameter and water holes were also perfect. In addition, low addition (<0.25%) of Zanthoxylum bungeanum water extract could improve the sensory quality of surimi gel.