Bulletin

of the Japanese

Society of Scientific

Fisheries

Vol. 24, No . 9, 1959

749

A New

Method
Tsuneyuki

for Estimating
SAITO Ken-ichi

the

Freshness
MATSUYOSHI

of Fish

ARAI and Minoru

(Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University) In spite of the extreme importance of phosphate esters as metabolic intermediates,

published reports on studies of their changes in muscle of fish, especially such dealing with acid soluble nucleotides, are few in number1), 2). According be considered acid soluble nucleotides, freshness and are the to the facts related that the freshness nucleotides. to the role of these esters the contents the in living muscle, derived it may in the the of fish must be closely related to the changes of ribose principle to estimating

By determining

from the

J. M. SHEWAN and N. R. JONES3)applied of fish. On the other hand, accumulation and as a result

in the previous papers4),5),6) it has been reported of ATP* is slowly changes are that of Furthermore IMP thus formed these

that when carp muscles instantaneous accelerated freshness Two grams used for analysis. drochloric system acid converted accumulated

are frozen at a slow rate there occur rapid splitting of IMP. inosine At room temperature especially

to inosine and then to hypoxanthine. predominantly.

and hypoxanthine,

the latter,

Using these results as a basis it has been considered their contents

of raw or frozen fishes may be judged by estimating of fish muscle was ground in 20ml. The extract system Hypoxanthine, gradient elution

inosine and hypoxanthine. of 4 per cent cold perchloric acid and 10ml. of the filtrate were separated IRA-400. The was by the hy details of the solution by hand in a mortar. was filtered on Amberlite

inosine and nucleotides

have been described

previously6). (K) is determined by the following formula:

The rate of freshness

K=B/A~100
where density 0.01N fishes from A at is total the optical same density wavelength solution). K are presented with the at 250m of inosine The in freshness the and latter of perchloric and relation Table of 1. the to which acid hypoxanthine between It can fish the have the be extract and fraction freshness seen that the of these former B is optical with frozen values, cor quality. applied,

(eluted of

ammonium and 0-0.1 the to to values 80-90,

chloride of

coincide fresh this new

samples, muscle been

responding The will relation be

perfectly

muscle, method

inferior

between

others,

universally

discussed

elsewhere.

Received Aug. 22, 1958. * The following abbreviations ATP, IMP, Adenosinetriphosphate; Inosinemonophosphate;

are used:

750

Table 1.

Objective

index (K) and the freshness

of various

frozen

fishes.

Species

Grade*

Periods! of frozen Istorage (month, at -18~--20C 3.5 15 6 3 3.5 7 7 7 7 3.5 2 5 4 3 0 0

Optical density at 250 m .) A 5.200 7.000 6.250 6.690 6.245 6.500 6.600 6.260 4.600 3.210 5 .000 B 2.202 3.279 0.636 0.828 1.226 3.019 1.490 1.664 4.083 2.520 1.246

Time elapsed after catching

Yellow-tail Swordfish Sardine Mackerel pike Mackerel Mackerel Mackerel Mackerel Codling Rockfish Mackerel Great blue shark Long-jaw flounder Halibut Carp Squid
*

medium medium high high high medium medium medium low low medium low medium high very high very high

42 46 10 12 20 46 23 27 89 78 25 Salmon) (or shark 83 40 29 0 0.1

100-120 hrs. 100-120 hrs. 40 hrs.

7 days 10 days

4.100 3.404 4.600 1.834 4.480 1.300 4.300 0.000 7.322 0.008 (at 260 m,)

20-50 days

freshly caught

Grade was determined

by sensory judgment

of raw fish before freezing .

References
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Q: 6) Q : PARTMANN, JONES, SHEWAN, SAITO, T. N. J. and Bull. Arch. R. M. W.: and and ARAI, Japan. Biochem. Arch. MURRAY, JONES, K.: Soc. Fischereiwiss., J.: N. Nature, Sci. Biophys., R.: Biochem. J. 179, Fisheries, 73, 315 Sci. 820 5, 159 J., (1954). 66, 5P Agr., (1957). 8, 491 (1957).

Food (1957). 23,

265

(1957).

(1958).