Hypoallergenic delicious sea cucumber and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation method for reducing sensitization of sea cucumbers and improving flavor, and belongs to the technical field of food processing and anaphylaxis control. The preparation method comprises the following steps: performing high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment on pretreated salted sea cucumbers to change protein conformation; the texture is improved through low-temperature curing and tenderization; and finally, performing low-temperature soaking and flavoring by using composite spice seasoning liquid. According to the method disclosed by the invention, the conformational modification and epitope masking of main allergens of the sea cucumbers are realized while the flavor of the sea cucumbers is effectively blended and improved through the cooperation of a composite process of high-voltage pulse electric field treatment and spice soaking. The sea cucumber product prepared by the method is full in flavor, the sensitization is obviously reduced, and a green and efficient new process is provided for developing low-sensitization instant marine products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing technology, specifically a process for regulating the allergenicity of sea cucumbers. By optimizing the combined processing parameters of a high-voltage pulsed electric field and spices, and utilizing the non-thermal modification effect of the high-voltage pulsed electric field to synergistically alter the structure of allergenic proteins in sea cucumbers, the allergenicity of the sea cucumbers is reduced, while the nutritional components and delicious taste of the sea cucumbers are preserved. This provides an innovative and efficient technology for reducing the allergenicity and maintaining the quality of delicious sea cucumbers. This technology is not only applicable to the allergenicity regulation of sea cucumbers but can also be widely applied to reducing the allergenicity and maintaining the nutritional quality of other seafood products. Background Technology

[0002] Sea cucumber is a popular seafood, renowned as "ginseng of the sea" due to its high nutritional value and health benefits, rich in high-quality collagen, polysaccharides, amino acids, and various minerals. With the increasing popularity of health-conscious consumption, the market demand for ready-to-eat and convenient sea cucumber products continues to rise, becoming one of the core growth drivers in the seafood processing industry. However, sea cucumber is a common allergenic seafood, containing various allergenic proteins, mainly actin and tropomyosin, which can easily trigger allergic reactions such as skin itching, vomiting, and difficulty breathing in people with allergies. This severely limits the consumer base for sea cucumber products and creates a bottleneck for the industry's large-scale development.

[0003] To reduce the allergenicity of sea cucumbers, current technologies mainly focus on three directions: physical modification, chemical treatment, and biodegradation. Among physical methods, high-temperature heating and microwave treatment can reduce allergenicity by disrupting the spatial structure of allergenic proteins, but this easily leads to aging of the sea cucumber meat and loss of nutrients, significantly affecting product quality. Chemical methods often use proteases to hydrolyze allergenic proteins, which can effectively degrade allergenic epitopes, but the reaction conditions are difficult to control precisely, easily producing bitter peptides, and chemical reagent residues pose food safety risks. Biochemical methods utilize probiotic fermentation to degrade allergenic proteins, but the fermentation cycle is long, the cost is high, and the allergenicity reduction effect is unstable, making it difficult to meet the needs of industrial production. Therefore, developing a green processing technology that can efficiently reduce the allergenicity of sea cucumbers while preserving their nutrition and taste to the greatest extent has become a key problem urgently needing to be solved in the current sea cucumber processing industry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention proposes a method for preparing low-allergenic, flavorful sea cucumber. The aim is to achieve a high-efficiency reduction in sea cucumber allergenicity through a combination of high-voltage pulsed electric field and spice processing technology, while preserving its nutritional quality and delicious flavor, and also inhibiting fishy odor. Using qualified salted sea cucumber as raw material, key parameters such as the field strength, pulse frequency, and processing time of the high-voltage pulsed electric field, the temperature and duration of low-temperature tenderization during heat processing, and the concentration of the seasoning solution, low-temperature soaking temperature, and time are systematically optimized. This ensures that the allergenicity of the sea cucumber is reduced by more than 70.00%, serum IgE and IgG1 levels are significantly reduced (P<0.05), the fishy odor inhibition rate is not less than 90%, and the rehydration rate is maintained at 300-500%. This invention provides a novel technical approach for the industrial production and precise flavor control of low-allergenic seafood products.

[0005] The core of this invention is to reduce the allergenicity of sea cucumbers through the synergistic effect of a high-voltage pulsed electric field and the active ingredients in spices. High-voltage pulsed electric fields, as a novel non-thermal processing technology, offer advantages such as high processing efficiency and minimal impact on food quality. The electric field force generated by the high-voltage pulse disrupts the secondary and tertiary structures of allergenic proteins, reducing their immune activity, while avoiding the quality damage caused by traditional heating. The polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes, and other active ingredients in spices not only possess natural antibacterial and flavoring properties but can also bind to the amino acid residues of allergenic proteins, blocking the binding of allergenic epitopes to antibodies and further enhancing the desensitization effect. Combining these two technologies allows for the construction of a highly efficient desensitization system through their synergistic effect, overcoming the limitations of single technologies. Simultaneously, the natural flavor of the spices enhances the taste of the sea cucumbers, achieving the dual goals of desensitization and flavor optimization.

[0006] This invention combines significant technological innovation with outstanding practicality, forming a complete and feasible technical solution. In terms of innovation, it breaks through the bottleneck of single-technology desensitization, integrating the dual advantages of non-thermal processing and natural ingredient assistance to construct a high-voltage pulsed electric field and spice synergistic desensitization system, filling the gaps in existing sea cucumber desensitization technologies. In terms of practicality, this technical solution can precisely degrade allergenic proteins and effectively reduce the allergenicity of sea cucumbers while maximizing the preservation of their nutritional quality, simultaneously enhancing flavor and inhibiting fishy odor. It is fully adaptable to the actual needs of industrial production, providing a new approach and support for the large-scale production of high-quality, low-allergenic sea cucumber products.

[0007] The method described in this invention is as follows: A method for preparing low-allergenic and delicious sea cucumber, using salted sea cucumber as raw material, involves sequentially passing it through high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment, low-temperature cooking and tenderizing, and soaking in a seasoning solution. This process achieves efficient deodorization and flavor blending while significantly reducing the allergenicity of the sea cucumber. The method includes the following steps: S1. Raw material pretreatment: Remove the internal organs and sand mouth of the salted sea cucumber, and desalinate it in running water for 12-48 hours to obtain desalted sea cucumber; S2. High-voltage pulsed electric field treatment: The desalinated sea cucumbers obtained in step S1 are placed in a high-voltage pulsed electric field and treated for 60-200 seconds under the conditions of electric field strength of 20-70 kV / cm and pulse frequency of 500-3000 Hz. S3. Low-temperature cooking and tenderizing: Mix sea cucumber and water after electric field treatment at a mass ratio of 1:5 to 1:10, heat-process at 60-100℃ for 30-150 minutes, then remove and cool to 20-25℃. S4. Soaking and soaking in seasoning liquid: Immerse the sea cucumbers treated in step S3 in the compound seasoning liquid and soak them at 0-4℃ for 12-48 hours. After soaking, remove and drain to obtain the low-allergenic delicious sea cucumbers. Furthermore, the preferred conditions for the high-voltage pulse electric field treatment in step S2 are: electric field strength 20-50 kV / cm, pulse frequency 1000-2000 Hz, and treatment time 90-150 seconds.

[0008] Furthermore, the conditions for low-temperature cooking and tenderizing in step S3 are as follows: the mass ratio of sea cucumber to purified water is 1:8, and the treatment is carried out at 80-90℃ for 60-90 minutes.

[0009] Furthermore, the compound seasoning liquid in step S4 contains at least one of salt, white sugar, star anise, scallion, ginger, and cinnamon, with a total concentration of 1.5~20 g / L, and is prepared by boiling in water for at least 60 minutes.

[0010] Furthermore, in step S4, the concentration of star anise in the compound seasoning liquid is 2-12 g / L, the concentration of cinnamon is 0-4 g / L, the concentration of scallion is 2-10 g / L, the concentration of ginger is 0-4 g / L, and the concentration of salt is 2-5 g / L.

[0011] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the compound seasoning liquid to the soaking sea cucumber is 2:1 to 4:1.

[0012] This invention provides a low-allergenic delicious sea cucumber prepared according to the above preparation method. The protein spatial conformation of the sea cucumber is changed, and the epitopes of allergens are effectively masked. The allergenicity is reduced by more than 70% compared with the control sea cucumber that has only undergone desalination treatment. At the same time, its key fishy smell substances include at least one of 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, and 2-pentylfuran, and the inhibition rate of the fishy smell substances is not less than 90%.

[0013] Furthermore, the rehydration rate of the sea cucumber reaches 300%-500%, and its volatile flavor components are rich in terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and esters.

[0014] Furthermore, in the BALB / c mouse sensitization model, the levels of specific IgE and IgG1 were significantly lower than those of the control group product made from the same desalted sea cucumber without the process described in claim 1 (P<0.05).

[0015] Beneficial effects This invention utilizes a high-voltage pulsed electric field in synergistic processing with spices to effectively reduce the allergenicity of sea cucumbers, avoid nutrient loss caused by traditional heating, and preserve their delicious flavor. This method ensures low allergenicity and good taste while reducing costs and increasing efficiency, providing a green processing solution suitable for industrial production and offering strong support for the large-scale development of the sea cucumber industry. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Example 1: A method for preparing a low-allergenic and delicious sea cucumber This embodiment provides a method for preparing the low-allergenic delicious sea cucumber of the present invention, and the specific steps are as follows: S1. Raw material pretreatment: a) Desalination treatment: Select qualified salted sea cucumbers and remove their internal organs and sand mouths. Place the sea cucumbers under running purified water for 24 hours to remove excess salt.

[0017] b) Pulsed electric field pretreatment: After desalination, the sea cucumbers are drained of surface moisture and placed in a pulsed electric field treatment chamber. The treatment is carried out for 60-200 seconds under the conditions of electric field strength of 20-70 kV / cm and pulse frequency of 3000-5000 Hz.

[0018] S2. Low-temperature tenderizing and cooking: Sea cucumbers pretreated with a pulsed electric field are mixed with purified water at a mass ratio of 1:5 to 1:10 and then subjected to heat treatment at 80-100℃ for 60-90 minutes to tenderize and cook. After completion, the sea cucumbers are removed and quickly cooled to room temperature.

[0019] S3. Preparation and flavoring of compound seasoning liquid: a) Preparation of compound seasoning liquid: Using purified water as the base, accurately add 4.000-12.000 g of star anise, 0-4.000 g of cinnamon, 4.000-10.000 g of scallions, 0-4.000 g of ginger, and 4.000-5.000 g of salt per 1000-1800 mL of water, and mix well. Heat the mixture in a boiling water bath using an induction cooker for 60-100 minutes, and then filter to obtain the spice seasoning liquid.

[0020] b) Soaking and flavoring: Combine the sea cucumber and compound seasoning liquid obtained in step S2, and soak them in a cold storage at 4℃ for 6-24 hours to allow them to fully absorb the flavor and further expand.

[0021] S4. Quick-freezing and packaging: After soaking and marinating, remove the sea cucumbers, drain the surface liquid, and lay them in a single layer on a quick-freezing tray. Quick-freeze in a -35°C quick-freezing tunnel until the core temperature reaches -18°C, then remove. Vacuum-pack the sea cucumbers at -18°C or below to obtain the hypoallergenic, delicious, ready-to-eat sea cucumber product described in this invention.

[0022] Example 2: Evaluation of the product's hypoallergenicity and deodorizing effect To verify the effectiveness of the product of this invention, an animal sensitization model and volatile flavor substance detection were used for comprehensive evaluation.

[0023] 1. Experimental Samples: Sample of the product group of the present invention: the low-allergenic delicious sea cucumber prepared in Example 1 (denoted as "LP group").

[0024] Blank control group sample: Salted sea cucumbers that have not been treated by the process of this invention (steps S1b to S3) and have only undergone desalination (referred to as "Control group").

[0025] 2. Laboratory animals and sensitization evaluation: Healthy female BALB / c mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into two groups (n=8): a blank control group (Control) and the product group of this invention (LP). Following a classic food sensitization model, the mice were sensitized and challenged via gavage. Serum was collected from the mice at the end of the experiment.

[0026] Detection indicators and methods: The levels of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) in mouse serum were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.

[0027] 3. Evaluation of the effect of reducing fishy smell: Sample preparation: Equal amounts of sea cucumber samples from the Control group and the LP group were taken, homogenized, and pretreated by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) before analysis.

[0028] Detection method: The content of key odor substances (1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, and 2-pentylfuran) was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The inhibition rate of the product of this invention against odor substances was calculated by comparison.

[0029] 4. Experimental Results: a) Sensitization indicators: Compared with the blank control group (Control), the serum levels of specific IgE and IgG1 in mice in the product group (LP) of this invention were significantly reduced (P<0.05), indicating a significant decrease in the sensitization of the product. Calculations show that the process of this invention can reduce the sensitization of sea cucumbers by 73.54% to 75.3%.

[0030] b) Indicators of odor reduction effect: GC-MS analysis results show that, compared with the blank control group, the product of this invention has a significant inhibitory effect on key odor substances. The specific inhibitory rates are as follows: 1-octen-3-ol inhibitory rate ≥ 98.68%, nonanal inhibitory rate ≥ 90.91%, and 2-pentylfuran inhibitory rate ≥ 92.23%.

[0031] 5. Experimental Conclusion: The results of this experiment show that the low-allergenic, delicious sea cucumber product prepared by this invention can effectively reduce the allergenicity of sea cucumber and significantly alleviate the body's specific immune response. Simultaneously, the process of this invention has a strong inhibitory or eliminating effect on key odor substances in sea cucumber, with inhibition rates of over 90% for the three typical odor substances, significantly improving the product's flavor. In summary, the product of this invention achieves low allergenicity while also possessing excellent delicious characteristics.

[0032] It should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a low-allergenic, delicious sea cucumber, characterized in that, Using salted sea cucumbers as raw material, the process involves high-voltage pulsed electric field treatment, low-temperature cooking and tenderizing, and soaking in a seasoning solution. This achieves efficient deodorization and flavor blending while significantly reducing the allergenicity of the sea cucumbers. The process includes the following steps: S1. Raw material pretreatment: Remove the internal organs and sand mouth of the salted sea cucumber, and desalinate it in running water for 12-48 hours to obtain desalted sea cucumber; S2. High-voltage pulsed electric field treatment: The desalinated sea cucumbers obtained in step S1 are placed in a high-voltage pulsed electric field and treated for 60-200 seconds under the conditions of electric field strength of 20-70 kV / cm and pulse frequency of 500-3000 Hz. S3. Low-temperature cooking and tenderizing: The sea cucumber treated with electric field is mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:5 to 1:10, and heat-treated at 60-100℃ for 30-150 minutes. Then it is taken out and cooled to 20-25℃. S4. Soaking and soaking in seasoning liquid: Immerse the sea cucumbers treated in step S3 in the compound seasoning liquid and soak them at 0-4℃ for 12-48 hours. After soaking, remove and drain to obtain the low-allergenic delicious sea cucumbers. The compound seasoning liquid contains at least one of salt, white sugar, star anise, scallion, ginger, and cinnamon, with a total concentration of 1.5 to 20 g / L, and is prepared by boiling in water for at least 60 minutes.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preferred conditions for the high-voltage pulse electric field treatment in step S2 are: electric field strength 20-50 kV / cm, pulse frequency 1000-2000 Hz, and treatment time 90-150 seconds.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conditions for low-temperature cooking and tenderizing in step S3 are as follows: the mass ratio of sea cucumber to purified water is 1:8, and the treatment is carried out at 80-90℃ for 60-90 minutes.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the concentration of star anise in the compound seasoning liquid is 2-12 g / L, the concentration of cinnamon is 0-4 g / L, the concentration of scallion is 2-10 g / L, the concentration of ginger is 0-4 g / L, and the concentration of salt is 2-5 g / L; the mass ratio of the compound seasoning liquid to the soaking mass of sea cucumber is 2:1 to 4:

1.

5. A low-allergenic, delicious sea cucumber prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The protein spatial conformation of the sea cucumber is altered, and the epitopes of allergens are effectively masked, reducing the sensitization rate by more than 70% compared to the control sea cucumber that has only undergone desalination treatment. At the same time, its key odor substances include at least one of 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, and 2-pentylfuran, and the inhibition rate of the odor substances is not less than 90%.

6. The low-allergenic delicious sea cucumber according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sea cucumber has a rehydration rate of 300%-500%, and its volatile flavor components are rich in terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and esters.

7. The low-allergenic delicious sea cucumber according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, Evaluation using the BALB / c mouse sensitization model showed that the specific IgE and IgG1 levels were significantly lower than those of the control group product made from the same desalted sea cucumber without the process described in claim 1 (P < 0.05).