FISH MUSCLE LIPOLYSIS—A REVIEW

Lipolysis occurs extensively in fish muscle post-mortem and is associated with quality deterioration in the frozen tissue. Fish muscle lipolysis is presented in the context of basic fish muscle physiology and lipid composition. Phospholipase A and lipases from fish muscle have been described and characterized. The reaction is usually followed by measurement of free fatty acid production, and several colorimetric assays are available. Processing and storage treatments have been shown to influence the extent and rate of lipolysis in fish muscle; most of the research in this area has been directed at the effects of frozen storage. The interaction of lipolysis and lipid oxidation is a particularly intriguing area of study as triglyceride hydrolysis leads to increased oxidation while phospholipid hydrolysis produces the opposite effect.