Studies on evaluation of glutathione distribution in fish and shellfish and elucidation of its postharvest behavior

1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08456104
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fisheries chemistry
• Research Institution: KYOTO UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: HIRATA Takashi Kyoto Univ., Graduate school of Agric., Associate professor, 農学研究科, 助教授 (40273495)
• Project Period (FY): 1996 – 1997
• Keywords: Glutathione / glutathione disulfide / functional component / postharvest storage / GSH

Research Abstract

Glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) in ca.50 species of fish and shellfish were determined. Except for several species, the contents of GSSG were less than 10% of GSH.Dark meats had 2-3 times higher concentration of total glutathiones (GSH+GSSG, total GSH) than ordinary meats. In general, white meat fish had lower contents of both forms of GSH than red meat fish. Especially, angler, a fish slow in movement, had extremely low contents of GSH and GSSG.Total GSH levels in pelagic fish were relatively high, compared with benthic fish. Of pelagic fich, yellowtail and salmon had more than 200nmol/g of total GSH.Thus fish and shellfish living in the environmental and physiological conditions which active oxygen readily generate, have generally high contents of total GSH, except for shellfish, which have high contents of total GSH (>100nmol/g). Both GSH and GSSG in fish and shellfish showed higher stability in anaerobic conditions than in air. Total GSH also decrease in parallel with GSH in the air condition, suggesting that GSH stored in air does not always convert into GSSG during storage. Scallop showed very high level of total GSH, but an only limited activity of glutathione peroxidase. Further studies are required to clarify the degradation mechanism of GSH during the postharvest storage