ABSTRACT
Enzymes are macromolecular proteins whose unique primary and three-dimen sional structure leads to specific catalytic activity in food and other biological systems. Disruption of that structure invariably leads to loss of activity and would be desirable in the case of enzymes whose activities are associated with deterioration in seafood quality. Several studies, for example, concluded that chemical/biochemical reactions as opposed to microbial growth were responsi ble for the deterioration in initial (prime) quality of unprocessed fish. In the case of snapper (1), yellow-eyed mullet (2), and trumpeter (3), the shelf lives of ster ile and nonsterile fish were the same during initial stages of storage. Hence, maintenance of the prime quality of fish would require effective strategies di rected at controlling chemical/biochemical reactions (4). When fish have been exposed to processes that lead to release of degradative enzymes from storage compartments and interaction of substrate with these enzymes is accelerated, the need to control chemical/biochemical reactions becomes even greater. In other cases, enzyme action is desirable and maximization of that activity requires maintenance of that structure. While heat and pressure (see Chap. 20) are com monly used for enzyme denaturation, control of enzyme structure and hence ac tivity may also be achieved through modification of the enzyme’s chemical environment. The latter process is the focus of this chapter. To address this issue, the chapter is organized into two parts. In the first part, the fundamental chemical mechanisms for control of enzyme catalyzed reactions will be explored. In the
second part, specific examples will be given on the response of enzymic systems in fishery products to chemical treatments.
