Effects of pre-slaughter stress on proteolytic enzyme activities and muscle quality of farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Farmed Atlantic cod were subjected to a combination of stressors in a holding tank before being killed, pre rigor filleted and stored in ice. At slaughter, a higher level of stress was confirmed by blood physiology analyses. This was further associated with significantly reduced muscle pH and somewhat elevated muscle collagenase-like activity in the stressed fish, whereas no differences in cathepsin-like activities were found. After 5 days of iced storage, the stressed fish had significantly lower water holding capacity, reduced hardness and yellowish colour compared to the control group, and no differences in the other parameters investigated. Independent of pre-slaughter stress, the activities of cathepsin B- and B/L-like enzymes increased and activities of cathepsin D/E- and collagenase-like enzymes decreased with storage.