Denaturation of proteins in muscle juice by freezing

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Abstract
During an investigation on the freezing point curve of ox muscle juice, it was observed that upon thawing a sample which had been held in the frozen state at — 3° C. for some time, a flocculent precipitate of protein formed. Further experiments showed that the precipitation depended upon the conditions of freezing. A search of the literature yielded little information regarding the phenomenon, practically the only investigation bearing directly on it being that of Vickery (1926), who, though he did not observe precipitation, states that the number of particles visible under the ultra microscope diminished after freezing and thawing, owing, as he thought, to an aggregation of protein particles. The precipitated protein was found to be insoluble in salt solutions, and was, n fact, denatured. The circumstances of this denaturation are interesting, for nothing more is involved than the removal of water from the system by freezing, and as this factor can be quantitatively controlled, the system affords an excellent opportunity for studying the mechanism of denaturation.

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