NipponSuisan Gakkaishi 58(1),85-88(1992)

Kamaboko Gel-strengthening Effect of Polyuronides and

Other Polysaccharides

Eiji Niwa,*1 Kohji Tsujimoto,*1 and Satoshi Kanoh*1

(ReceivedJune 3, 1991)

The screeningtestof the kamabokogel-strengthening effectwas madewithNa and Ca salts

of polyuronides and carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC),in additionto cellulose. It was foundthat
Casaltsof alginicacid,pecticacid,pectinicacid,and CMCincreasedthe breakingforceof kama-
bokoobtainedfromthesurimiof Alaskapollack,whereastheirNasaltsexceptNa-pectinate didnot.
Theincreasein the breakingforceinducedbyCa-CMCdisappeared by increasingits degreeof sub-
stitutionof hydroxylgroupsto carboxymethyl groups. Furthermore,fineparticlesof cellulose
(400meshes)increasedthe breakingforceand breakingstrain,anddecreasedthe expressible water,
butwereineffective whenthe particlesbecamecoarser. Underthepresenceof potatostarch,even
coarseparticlesof cellulosewereeffective. Thebreakingforcewasnotso increasedby increasing
theratio of CaCl2to NaClto be addedto the surimi.

We have described that the kamaboko gel- Materials and Methods

strengthening action of gelling substances such
as starch and egg white is closely related to their Polyuronides and Others

absorbing capacity of water within salt-ground The standard of polyuronides and others

surimi, which inevitably heightens the density of examined is shown in Table 1. Na-pectate was

protein matrices being the framework of kama- prepared by adding 5% NaOH to 2.5%. pectic

boko gel. When the mechanical strength of acid so as to be pH 7.0, dried by a rotary evap-

particles of gelling substance swollen within the orator, powdered in a mortar and passed through

gel is low, the elasticity of the gel is reversely a sieve of 100 mesh.

lowered due to stress concentration.*2,1-5) There- For the preparation of Ca-pectate and -pec-

fore, in order to develop a new gelling substance, tinate, 5% Ca (OH)2 was added to 2% pectic

we should pay attention not only to its water- acid and 2% pectinic acid, respectively, until

absorbing capacity but also to the mechanical the gel was not formed. The mixture was ho-

sterngth of its particles. In the present step, mogenized, adjusted to pH 7.0 with 3% HCl

however, it is not so easy to guess the mechanical and filtered by suction. The residue was ho-

strength of particles within kamaboko, although mogenized with the three volumes of methanol.

the water- absorbing capacity of gelling substance The homogenization with methanol and sub-

can be roughly guessed from its chemical structure sequent filtration were repeated three times to

or solubility. In this paper, we deal with the remove water. The residue was dried, powdered

results of a screening test for kamaboko gel- and sieved as above. Ca and Na salts thus

strengthening effect with Na and Ca salts of obtained were held for a few days over P2O5 in

a desiccator under reduced pressure.

polyuronides and those of carboxymethyl cel-
lulose (CMC), in addition to cellulose. Pol-
Preparation of Kamaboko
yuronides are assumed to be higher than starch
in the waterabsorbing capacity, because they Kamaboko was prepared from non-salted,

have remarkably hydrophilic carboxyl groups. Alaska pollack Theragra chalcogramma frozen

Although CMC is not classified to polyuronides, surimi (Taiyo Fisheries, SA-grade).1) The thawed

it also has carboxyl groups. surimi was minced and ground at 4•Ž together

with 30% water, 3 % NaCl, polyuronides and/or

other polysaccharides for 20 min in an automatic

*1 Faculty of Fisheries, Mie University, Kamihama, Tsu, Mie 514, Japan(丹 羽 栄 二,辻 本 宏 治,加 納 哲:

三 重 大 学 水 産 学 部).
*2 Alocal increase in the stress inside an object.
 Table 1. Polyuronides and others

mixer (Taisho Denki, Ladies Mixer, KN100). breaking force and breaking strain were decreased
The amount of these additives is expressed as and the expressible water was reversely increased
the ratio to the weight of the starting surimi. with increasing the amount of Na-alginate, -CMC
The resulting salt-ground surimi, ship-surimi, and-pectate added. The breaking force, however ,
was packed into casing of 3.0cm diameter, set was increased, and the breaking strain and ex-
at 40•Ž for 20 min and heated at 80•Ž for 20 min pressible water were scarcely affected by the
in a water bath. The heated product, kamaboko,

was preserved overnight in a refrigerator. Con-

trol kamaboko was prepared without the addition

of polyuronides and others unless otherwise

specified.

PunctureTestand OtherMeasurements
Kamaboko was cut to thick slices (1.6cm
height) after equilibrated to room temperature
and subjected to a puncture test by using a rhe-
ometer with a spherical plunger of 5mm dia-
meter (Fudoh Kogyo, NRM 2010-CW)at a table
speedof 6cm/min.
The amount of expressiblewater of kamaboko
was measured as the weight-lossduring com-
pressingabout 1g of the sliced sample put be-
tweendoublelayers of filter papers (Toyo Roshi.,
No. 3, 9 cm diameter) at 1kg/cm2 for 3 min.

Resultsand Discussion
The breaking force, breaking strain, and ex-
pressible water of control kamaboko containing
no starch were 540g, 10.1mm, and 42%, re-
spectively, and those of kamaboko with 4% Fig. 1. Effect of polyuronides and CMC added to

potato starch added were 680g, 10.8mm, and surimi on the physical properties of kamaboko
.
38%, respectively. -•œ -, Breaking force; --•£ --, breaking strain;--•¡--,

Figure 1 shows the effects of Na salts of pol - expressible water.

Left column; Polyuronides and CMC were

yuronides and CMC added to the surimi and of
added as Na salt.
their Ca salts under the absence or presence of
Middle column; added as Ca salt
4% potato starch on the physical properties of .
Right column; added as Ca salt together with
kamaboko. As shown in the left column , the 4% potato starch.
 Fig. 3. Effect of the ratio of CaCl2 to NaCl added

to surimi on the phsical properties of kamaboko.

The concentrations of NaCl and CaCl2 were

expressed as ionic strength and the total ionic

strength was held at 0.6.

-•œ-
, Breaking force; --•£--, breaking strain;
-•¡-
, expressible water.

Figure 3 shows the effect of ratio of CaCl2 to

NaCl to be added to the surimi on the physical

Fig. 2. Effect of DS of calcium CMC added to surimi

on the physical propertices of kamaboko. properties of kamaboko, in order to clarify the

DS: -•œ-, 0.44; --•£--, 0.58; --•¡--, 0.70;-•-•›-¥-, difference between Ca and Na ions in the physical

0.80. properties of kamaboko. The breaking force,

breaking strain, and expressible water were

addition of Na-pectinate. As shown in the slightly increased with the increase of the ratio
middle column, the breaking force was increased of CaCl2, reached each maximum and decreased

by increasing the amount of all Ca salts added. by further increasing the ratio. Such an increase

The breaking strain was scarcely affected by the in the breaking force was not so remarkable,

addition of Ca-CMC, -pectate, and -pectinate when compared with that induced by Ca salts of

but decreased by that of Ca-alginate. The polyuronides and CMC mentioned above.
expressible water was increased by the addition Figure 4 shows the effect of the particle size

of Ca-pectate. On the other hand, kamaboko of cellulose added to the surimi on the physical

on the market usually contains starch more or properties of kamaboko. As shown in the left
less. We examined here the effect of Ca salts column, the breaking force and breaking strain

of polyuronides and CMC on the physical pro- were decreased by the addition of coarse particles

perties of kamaboko containing potato starch. of cellulose but increased by that of its fine

The breaking force was increased even under particles, although the expressible water was
the presence of 4% potato starch by increasing slightly inceased. As shown in the right column,

the amount of Ca salts added to the surimi as however, the breaking force and breaking strain

shown in the right column (Potato starch was were gradually increased and the expressible

also added to control kamaboko shown in this water was decreased with increasing amounts

column). of cellulose powder added in the presence of

Figure 2 shows the effect of DS (the degree of 4% potato starch (The same amount of starch

substitution of hydroxyl groups to carboxymethyl was added also to control kamaboko).

groups) of CMC added to the surimi on the Many investigators have reported that the

physical properties of kamaboko. As shown kamaboko gel-strengthening caused by gelling

in the top, the breaking force was increased with substance is due to its water-absorbing action.7-10)

the increase of the amount of Ca-CMC having Also, the mechanical strength of the particles of

the DS of 0.44 but decreased as its DS became gelling substance is however, thought to be im-
higher. As shown in the middle, the breaking portant for the kamaboko gel-strengthening

strain was slightly decreased with the increase action, from the fact that the gel is reversely

of DS. As shown in the bottom, the expressible weakened by the addition of pregelatinized

water was slihgtly decreased by Ca-CMC having starch which absorbs much water or oxidized

the DS of 0.58 but scarcely affected by the others. starch which is weak in mechanical strength.6,7)
 in water whereas the former is only swollen.*3
If so, it can be considered that the effectiveness
of their Ca salts results from their high mechanical
strength. Also the result that Ca-CMC became
ineffective when its DS was increased would
be due to the same reason. The water-absorbing
capacity is increased by the introduction of
hydrophilic carboxymethyl groups, by which
the mechanical strength may be lowered. On
the other hand, we reported previously that cel-
luose was not effective for the kamaboko gel-
strengthening action,1) but it was most recently
found to be effective.11) Considering that the
particles of cellulose examined by us are more
coarese (Nakalai Tesque, chemical grade), this
conflict may result from the difference in the
particle size of cellulose.

Fig. 4. Effect of particle size of cellulose added to

References
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-•œ-
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, 50 mesh; --•£--, 200 mesh; --•¡--, 400
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Left column; Kamaboko was prepared without 2) E. Niwa, T.-T. Wang, S. Kanoh, and T. Nakayama: Con-
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structure within kamaboko. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, 54,
Right column; Kamaboko was prepared by
989-992 (1988).
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*3 It can not be considered

, however, that these Na salts are dissolved also in kamaboko .

Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi: Formerly Bull . Japan. Soc. Sci . Fish.