Comparative Study on Muscle Quality of Cultured Polyodon spahula, Hybrid Sturgeon and Aristichthys nobilis
A comparative study was conducted on muscle physical and chemical qualities of Polyodon spathula,the hybrid sturgeon H.dauricus ♀-× A.schrencki ♂ and Aristichthys nobilis.The results showed that flesh content in A.nobilis was significantly higher than in two other sturgeon species (P < 0.05).The muscle protein content ofP spathula was not different from that of the hybrid and A.nobilis (P > 0.05),and we further found that the hybrid was significantly lower than A.nobilis (P < 0.05).Crude fat was significantly more abundant in P.spathula as compared to that ofA.nobilis (P < 0.05),although both species showed no significant difference from hybrid sturgeon (P < 0.05).A.nobilis contained significantly higher amounts of ash than the other sturgeon species (P < 0.05).The fatty acid profiles in these three fish species were found to consist of three saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and six unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs),and the UFA content in hybrid sturgeon was higher than in P.spathula andA.nobilis (P < 0.05).The content ofmono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in P spathula was significantly higher than in hybrid sturgeon and A.nobilis (P < 0.05) and the contents of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were significantly different among the three species (P < 0.05) and the decreasing order was hybrid sturgeon > P.spathula > A.nobilis.Similarly,the contents of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) were significantly different among them (P < 0.05),showing a decreasing order of A.nobilis > hybrid sturgeon > P spathula.The atherogenic index (AI) in P spathula was significantly lower than that observed for A.nobilis (P < 0.05),and the thrombosis index (TI) in P.spathula and hybrid sturgeon was significantly lower than that ofA.nobilis (P < 0.05).The cooked meat yield of hybrid sturgeon was significantly lower than that ofA.nobilis(P < 0.05),whereas the collagen content was significantly higher than that ofA.nobilis(P < 0.05).Both juice loss and water loss in P.spathula were significantly lower than those of hybrid sturgeon and A.nobilis (P < 0.05).Fat loss and muscle fiber diameter were not significantly different between P.spathula and hybrid sturgeon (P > 0.05),but fat loss in P.spathula and hybrid sturgeon was significantly lower than in A.nobilis (P < 0.05),while muscle fiber diameter was significantly higher than that of A.nobilis (P < 0.05).No significant difference in muscle hardness was found between P.spathula and A.nobilis (P > 0.05),but the values of both species were significantly lower than that of hybrid sturgeon (P < 0.05); in addition,adhesiveness,cohesiveness,resilience and shear force in hybrid sturgeon were significantly higher than those observed for A.nobilis (P < 0.05).Springiness in P.spathula was significantly higher than that ofA.nobilis (P < 0.05).Chewiness was significantly different among the three species,and the descending order was hybrid sturgeon > P spathula > A.nobilis.The hardness of cooked meat from hybrid sturgeon was significantly higher than that of A.nobilis (P < 0.05); as for cohesiveness and resilience,P.spathula was significantly higher than hybrid sturgeon and A.nobilis (P < 0.05).Springiness in P spathula was significantly higher than that found in A.nobilis (P < 0.05).Gummines and chewiness in P spathula were significantly higher than those ofA.nobilis (P < 0.05).Shear force was significantly lower in P spathula compared to A.nobilis (P < 0.05).Moreover,muscle tenderness ofP.spathula was significantly lower than that ofA.nobilis (P < 0.05),and hybrid sturgeon was in the middle.However,no significant differences in juiciness,greasiness or flavor were found among the three species.In conclusion,the flavor and IT/AT in P spathula are relatively better,similar to hybrid sturgeon,indicating health benefits; the contents of protein and other nutrients such as HUPA in A.nobilis are higher or close to the ideal patterns,suggesting its higher nutritional value and better tenderness.