Han Lingyu, Zhang Yulong, Hu Bing, Zhang Ying, Cao Jijuan, Yang Jixin, Al-Assaf Saphwan
Key Lab of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian 116600, China.
Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Wrexham University, Plas Coch, Mold Road, Wrexham LL11 2AW, UK.
Gels. 2025 Sep 11;11(9):725. doi: 10.3390/gels11090725.
Fish skin gelatin (FG) has garnered considerable attention as a potential substitute for mammalian gelatin. In this study, skin gelatin was chemically modified using transglutaminase (TG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Subsequently, the rheological, structural, and physicochemical properties of FG modified with varying concentrations of TG and EGCG were systematically examined and compared. As the concentrations of TG and EGCG increased, more extensive interactions occurred in FG, leading to a significant enhancement of gelatin properties. Following modification, the molecular weight of FG proteins increased, and this was accompanied by enhanced surface hydrophobicity and gel strength. Rheological analysis further demonstrated that the viscosity of FG modified with TG and EGCG was higher than that of unmodified FG and was positively correlated with the treatment concentrations of TG and EGCG. Additionally, the results indicated that the effect of TG modification was more pronounced than that of EGCG modification. Overall, this study demonstrates that both TG and EGCG modifications can effectively overcome the inherent limitations of fish skin gelatin, with TG showing superior efficiency as a cross-linking agent. The enhanced thermal stability, gel strength, and rheological properties achieved through these interactions significantly expand the potential applications of fish gelatin in the food industry, making it a more viable alternative to mammalian gelatin.
鱼皮明胶（FG）作为哺乳动物明胶的潜在替代品已受到广泛关注。在本研究中，使用转谷氨酰胺酶（TG）和表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯（EGCG）对鱼皮明胶进行化学改性。随后，系统地研究并比较了不同浓度的TG和EGCG改性后的FG的流变学、结构和物理化学性质。随着TG和EGCG浓度的增加，FG中发生了更广泛的相互作用，导致明胶性质显著增强。改性后，FG蛋白的分子量增加，同时表面疏水性和凝胶强度增强。流变学分析进一步表明，用TG和EGCG改性的FG的粘度高于未改性的FG，并且与TG和EGCG的处理浓度呈正相关。此外，结果表明TG改性的效果比EGCG改性更明显。总体而言，本研究表明TG和EGCG改性均可有效克服鱼皮明胶的固有局限性，其中TG作为交联剂表现出更高的效率。通过这些相互作用实现的热稳定性、凝胶强度和流变学性质的增强显著扩大了鱼明胶在食品工业中的潜在应用，使其成为哺乳动物明胶更可行的替代品。
