THERMOSTABLE PROTEINASE IN SALTED ANCHOVY MUSCLE

Salted anchovy fillets produced in Japan were severely degraded above 35 degrees C and were solubilized completely in a few hours at 55 degr ees C. Zn contrast, raw anchovy fillets were not solubilized, but the solubility of fillets gradually increased during the salting process. In contrast, salted and raw anchovy fillets from southern Europe were relatively stable. Proteolytic activity that digested myosin heavy cha in in vitro was found in muscle extracts from both types of salted fil lets. Enzymes with activity were high-temperature-active serine protei nases with substrate specificities similar to trypsin. Optimal pH was 7.4 (Japan) and >8.5 (Europe). Neither enzyme showed collagen-degradin g activity.