The effect of high-pressure treatment on functional components of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cephalothorax

• HP (≤ 400 MPa) partially denatured hemocyanin and reduced PPO activity by ≈ 30%.
• HP (600 MPa) totally denatured hemocyanin and reduced PPO activity by 80%.
• Astaxanthin and α-tocopherol were stable to HP treatment (up to 600 MPa).
• HP (600 MPa) slightly reduced the content of EPA and DHA (C20:5n3 and C22:6n3).
• ω6/ω3 fatty acids ratio was lower than 1.03 whichever HP treatment was applied.

High-pressure (HP) technology has been applied to extend the shelf life of shrimps by inhibiting enzymes with PPO activity or microorganisms. However, there is very little information on its effect on relevant compounds from a nutritional or functional point of view, such as fatty acids, α-tocopherol, astaxanthin, and hemocyanin, which constitutes the main objective of the present work. Shrimp cephalothoraxes were HP processed at 200, 400, or 600 MPa/18 °C/15 min or three consecutive 5 min cycles. It was found that hemocyanin was partially denatured at pressures up to 400 MPa, resulting in lower PPO activity, and it was totally denatured at 600 MPa, although 20% residual PPO activity remained. Astaxanthin, α-tocopherol, and total antioxidant activity were stable whichever HP treatment was applied, whereas 600 MPa caused a slight reduction of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3, DHA). Despite this reduction, the ω-6/ω-3 fatty acids ratio was very low (1).Industrial relevanceShrimps are high-value fishery products with a very short shelf life under refrigeration, mainly because of microbial growth and development of melanosis. Thermal treatment is effective for extending shelf life, but it affects the nutritional quality of shrimps through degradation of bioactives such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, or astaxanthin, which are mainly located in the cephalothorax. High pressure is a non-thermal processing technology that has been proved to extend shrimp shelf life, but very little information can be found on its effect on the above-mentioned compounds as well as on the melanosis-inducing hemocyanin. Such basic knowledge is very important for industrial application of high-pressure technology to extend the shelf life of shrimps.