BigPatents India

The present invention relates to a process for inhibiting the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activity of fish actomyosin using polyhydric alcohols. More particularly it relates to the inhibition of nucleotide degrading enzyme adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) from the sardine (Sardinella longiceps) actomyosin by sorbitol and mannitol. Freezing and frozen storage is the most widely accepted method of preservation of muscle proteins. During this process denaturation / aggregation of myofibrillar proteins results in the loss of functionality of proteins. Various cryoprotectants and its combinations have tried to reduce the denaturation during freezing (Sultanbawa and Li-Chan 1998, Cryoprotective effect of sugars and polyol blends in ling cod surimi during frozen storage. Food Research International, 31(2): 87-98). Myosin is the major contributor of the functionality of muscle food and it has been extensively studied for improving the functionality by various treatments (Kristinsson and Hultin, 2003. Effect of low and high pH treatments on the functional properties of cod muscle proteins. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51: 5103-5110; Kristinsson and Hultin, 2003b. Changes in the conformation and subunit assembly of cod myosin at low and high pH and after subsequent refolding. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51: 7187-7196).