Effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the gel and protein structural properties of surimi and the underlying mechanisms

This study systematically investigated the effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments on the gelation properties and protein structural modifications in surimi. Through experimental analyses complemented by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes. Notably, moderate PEF treatment (15 kV/cm, 40 min) significantly enhanced gel strength and water-holding capacity (WHC) by 34.68 % and 11.55 %, respectively, compared to untreated samples. However, excessive parameters (> 20 kV/cm or > 60 min) induced protein over-aggregation through disulfide bond crosslinking, resulting in deteriorated gel quality. MD simulations revealed that PEF-induced alterations in molecular dipole moments accelerated conformational rearrangement of α-helical structures. The synergistic interplay between reinforced hydrogen bonding networks and optimized hydrophobic interactions was identified as the primary determinant of improved gel functionality. These findings collectively highlight the critical balance required in PEF parameter selection for surimi processing optimization.