BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ACTOMYOSIN FROM FROZEN PRESPAWNED AND POSTSPAWNED HAKE

Protein solubility, reduced and intrinsic viscosity, and enzymatic act ivities of actomyosin showed that frozen fillets from pre-spawned hake , stored at -20 degrees C, deteriorated faster than those from post-sp awned hake. The post-spawned actomyosin showed an 18% increase in redu ced viscosity, a larger hydrophilic surface, and an increase (P<0.001) in Mg2+-, Mg2+-EGTA- and Ca2+-ATPase activities. Protein solubilities of 85.5 +/-2.5% and 33+/-2.0% were obtained at the end of storage for post and pre-spawned fillets, respectively. Enzymatic activities of p ost-spawned fillets persisted up to 60 days. No changes were detected in characteristic polypeptide bands of actomyosin or in the myosin/act in ratio related to either gonadal condition during storage.