Biochemical effects of gamma radiation on ''kembung'' fish (rastrelliger neglectus)

Investigations on the changes of SH-protease and acid phosphatase activity, Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVBN) and hypoxanthine concentration of fish during chilled storage have been carried out. It was found that during storage of 12 days at 2-5 deg C, the concentration of hypoxanthine and TVBN value in kembung fish increased steadily, while the specific activity of the fish SH-protease and acid phosphatase decreased remarkably. Evidently the increase in hypoxanthine concentration during storage proceeded faster than the increase in TVBN value. It was proved that radiation treatment at doses of 0.1 and 0.2 Mrad had no significant effect either on SH-protease activity or on the activity of acid phosphatase. Analysis of variance of the TVBN value and hypoxanthine concentration in non irradiated and irradiated fish during storage indicated that storage and radiation treatments gave highly significant effect, furthermore irradiation effects on both parameters were significant after two day storage. The significantly lower TVBN value and hypoxanthine concentrtation in sample irradiated at 0.1 Mrad appeared after seven days storage time. (author)