The enhancement of surimi gels by utilizing coconut oil pre-emulsion loaded with pterostilbene and tempo modified cellulose

Surimi is widely appreciated for its preferred texture and nutritional profile. However, maintaining its superior gel-forming properties while preventing nutrient loss caused by the washing process remains challenging. In this study, pre-emulsions made from pea protein isolate (PPI), pterostilbene (PTE), TEMPO-oxidized cellulose (TOC), and coconut oil (CO) were used as a fat substitute to improve the gel properties of surimi. These were incorporated into brown croaker ( Miichthys miiuy ) surimi. The results showed that the PPI-CO-TOC-PTE pre-emulsion (P-C-T-P) had a small d 4,3 particle size (283.5 nm). Molecular docking simulations demonstrated that TOC enhanced hydrogen bonding interactions between PPI and PTE. Adding P-C-T-P significantly improved the gel strength (2002.33 ± 48.74 g × mm) and water-holding capacity (91.40 ± 0.37 %) of the surimi gels. Furthermore, the protein network structure was denser in the P-C-T-P group. The surimi with P-C-T-P showed higher storage and loss moduli and the highest levels of hydrogen bonding, hydrophobicity, and β-sheet content. Thus, P-C-T-P addition improved surimi gel properties compared with directly supplying lipids to surimi.