Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 284-312). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Both liquid and solid wastes from Pacific whiting surimi manufacturing were characterized and value-added products were recovered. A proteinase in surimi wash water (SWW) was determined to be cathepsin L with Mr 54,200 on SDS-substrate gel. Heat treatment and acidification shifted the activity zone to M [subscript r] 39,500. No evidence of calpain, cathepsin B or H activity was found. Cathepsin L from SWW was recovered by ohmic heating (55°C for 3 min), ultrafiltration, and freeze-drying with overall yield of 0.83 g protein/L SWW and 78% recovery of activity. A 5.9 purification fold was achieved by these processes. The recovered enzyme had an optimum activity at pH 4.0 and showed preferable hydrolytic activity towards casein, acid-denatured hemoglobin and myofibrils. β-Mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol and urea enhanced the enzyme activity. The recovered proteinase showed 18.5% residual activity after 7 wk storage at 4°C. Proteolytic activity in solid waste and digestive organs from Pacific whiting was investigated. Pepsin-like proteinase predominated in solid waste, while trypsin-like proteinase was predominant in viscera. Carboxypeptidase b was found in both viscera and solid waste. Protein hydrolysate was produced from Pacific whiting solid waste (PWSW) using commercial proteinase, Alcalase, under optimum hydrolysis conditions. Enzyme concentration, reaction time and waste/buffer ratio affected the hydrolysis and nitrogen recovery (NR). Correlation between the degree of hydrolysis (DH) and NR was high (R₂=0.978). Freeze-dried hydrolysate contained 79.97% protein and showed similar amino acid composition to PWSW and Pacific whiting muscle but tryptophan was reduced. With different DH (20, 30, 40, 50, 60%), surface hydrophobicity, total and surface sulfhydryl content decreased as the DH increased. The hydrolysate showed a high solubility over a wide pH range. Fat adsorption and fat binding capacity were reduced, while foam expansion was enhanced with an increased DH. Hydrolysate with DH of 30% showed highest emulsifying activity. Low emulsion stability and high foam stability were obtained in all hydrolysates tested. Hydrolysate showed antioxidant activity, but no obvious differences in activity were found with varying DH and hydrolysate concentrations. / Graduation date: 1997

Graduation date: 1997

Pacific whiting, with a maximum sustainable yield between 150,000 and 250,000 metric tons, is the largest stock of fish found off Oregon. The majority of the fish are processed into surimi. Hundreds of variables could potentially affect surimi quality (gel strength). Alternative harvesting and processing input combinations, as well as product quality attributes and their influences, were collected for the 1992-94 Pacific whiting seasons. This data was combined with other research on Pacific whiting quality to develop a comprehensive model of the Pacific whiting fishery. Neural network and induction modeling methods were used to isolate the importance of each input variable and document its interactive effects on other variables. Neural network modeling does not have the limitations of standard modeling techniques. A neural network model can "learn" and adjust weights among inputs and interactions as situations change. This allows for development of models which assign weights to all inputs, yet is easily maintained and updated. Another modeling method, known as induction, divides the information into smaller, more defined, subgroups which are analyzed separately using regression. This strategy reduces complications due to discontinuities in the data. A hybrid model was developed by combining results of the two modeling methods. These methods were compared to multiple regression for their effectiveness in prediction. The hybrid model provided the most accurate predictions (96% of predictions within 10% of actual value), followed by neural networks (92%), induction (84%), and regression (74%). Of the 88 variables examined, only ten and their interactions were significantly related to final product quality. These variables include the time it takes to process the fish from capture, the temperature the fish are stored until processing, the salinity, moisture content, and pH of the fish, the length and weight of the fish, the date and place where the fish were captured, and the water:meat wash ratio of the various surimi washes during processing. Most of the variables were highly interactive and nonlinear. The information derived from these models can be used to optimize production decisions and maximize profit. Quality influences of Pacific whiting are crucial for long term production and can be used to benefit the entire industry. / Graduation date: 1996

Biochemical properties, functional properties, and market potential of Pacific whiting (PW) fish sauce were investigated. Biochemical properties of fish sauce made from whole fish (W) and a mixture (1:1) of whole fish and surimi byproducts (WB) were compared. Market potential was evaluated through phone interviews and consumer panelists. Proteolysis was primarily affected by cathepsin B-like and L-like enzymes. Acidic pH (4-5) with low salt concentration (15-20%) provided a greater degree of hydrolysis (DH), total nitrogen, and amino nitrogen content in PW fish sauce compared to the traditional process. The greatest Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibition (96.8%) was found in samples fermented with 15% salt at pH 5.0 for 30 days. Anti-oxidative activity (AT) increased when fermentation continued and depended on fermentation pH. Peptides with MW <590 Da possibly played an important role in ACE inhibition. Consumer tests disclosed no significant difference in flavor liking and overall liking among fish sauce samples (W, WB, and commercial anchovy fish sauce). / Graduation date: 2004

The effects of harvesting Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) were examined with a multi-species numerical model composed of seven logistic growth equations coupled by a food web. The food web was composed of: California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), hake, sablefish (Anaplopoma fimbria), spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), a generic rockfish species (Sebastes spp.), Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and a generic euphausiid species (as an example, Pacific krill, Euphausia pacifica). The model was tuned to mimic stock assessment biomass estimates for the years 1980 to 1991, after which a short term experiment and a sensitivity analysis were conducted. The short term experiment used a factorial design, with hake fishing and fishing for rockfish, sablefish, and anchovy as treatments. It was analyzed with scale analysis techniques. The results indicate that hake (from a management viewpoint) is potentially most important in the offshore community as a prey item for sea lions and as a predator on anchovies, but hake fishing mortality had a small effect on either population during the time span of the experiment. Results also suggest that hake has little or no competitive interaction with other species that are trophically similar. Increased harvesting of hake would probably do little to increase the biomass of rockfish or sablefish. The general conclusion of both the sensitivity analysis and the experiment is that species below their carrying capacity are mostly affected by changes in growth and removal processes while species close to their carrying capacity are mostly affected by processes controlling prey availability. A forty year projection from 1991 to 2031 was conducted to examine the effects of hake fishing on sea lion and anchovy biomass. Results indicate that sea lion biomass will vary inversely with hake fishing effort, while anchovy biomass is directly proportional to hake fishing effort. Results also indicate that hake experience environmental conditions not favorable to recruitment. During favorable conditions the hake population builds up a "surplus" that carries it through periods of unfavorable conditions. Increased hake fishing effort reduces the response of the population to favorable conditions. The results of this research constitute a step from the theory toward the practice of proactive multi-species and ecosystem management. / Graduation date: 1995