Effects of high hydrostatic pressure processing on purine, taurine, cholesterol, antioxidant micronutrients and antioxidant activity of squid (Todarodes pacificus) muscles

- Purine, taurine, cholesterol and antioxidants in pressurized squid were analyzed.
- Pressurization and storage did not affect the taurine, EPA, DHA, Mn and Cu levels.
- Pressurization at 600 MPa caused the maximum loss of cholesterol, purines and Fe.
- At 600 MPa, Vitamin B2, DPPH, reducing power and TBARS values were minimally reduced.
- Cholesterol, reducing power, or VA showed no obvious differences at 200 and 400 MPa.

This study investigated the effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing (HHP, at 0.1 [control], 200, 400 or 600 MPa) on purine, taurine, cholesterol, antioxidant micronutrients (Mn, Se, Fe, Zn, Cu, vitamin B2, A and E), DPPH, and reducing power of squids during 10-day storage at 4 °C. Compared with the control, pressurization did not change the contents of purine, vitamin A and E, Mn and Fe in the squid samples on day 0. After 10-days of storage, HHP at 600 MPa caused maximum decreases in cholesterol, hypoxanthine, adenine and Fe, and produced small reductions in guanine, vitamin B2, DPPH, reducing power, and TBARS. No significant differences were found in cholesterol, reducing power, vitamin B2 or A between 200 MPa and 400 MPa treated samples. Both pressurization and storage time did not affect the levels of taurine, DHA, EPA, Mn and Cu. This study provided a strategy to decrease the cholesterol and purine contents with minimal antioxidant activity loss in seafood using HHP.