Physicochemical changes of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) muscle during salting

The effect of wet and dry saltings on the physicochemical changes of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) muscle was investigated. Dry salting resulted in the higher rate of salt uptake into tilapia muscle facilitating the faster decrease in Aw (p < 0.05). The pH of both dry and wet salted fish muscles tended to decrease throughout the salting time and the lower pH was found in dry salted fish (p < 0.05). The increase in the protein content in the salting medium was found during wet salted tilapia production (p < 0.05). The TCA-soluble peptide content tended to decrease with increasing the salting time in both salting methods (p < 0.05), suggesting a leaching effect of the salting medium or the exudative loss occurred in salted tilapia. Wet salting caused the greater formation of metmyoglobin in tilapia muscle when compared to dry salting at all time points (p < 0.05) and the content of metmyoglobin increased as salting time increased in both salting methods (p < 0.05). A lowered metmyoglobin with a lowered redness index of dry salted tilapia muscle was found, indicating the continuous oxidation of metmyoglobin to other hypervalent derivatives and hence the discolouration of salted tilapia. Lipid hydrolysis and oxidation of tilapia meat occurred with varying degrees in both salting methods and these changes depended on salting time. Dry salting resulted in a higher oxidation of tilapia muscle lipid as indicated by the higher PV and TBARS throughout the salting period when compared with that of wet salting (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the physicochemical changes of tilapia muscle during salting are governed by the salting method and the salting time applied.