Alaska Pollock, scientifically known as Theragra chalcogramma, belongs to the Gadidae family.

It features an elongated, slender body with a coloration ranging from olive green to brown on the back  and white-pink the lower part.

Habitat and Distribution

This fish is primarily found in the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the northern Pacific and it prefers cold, deep waters, often forming large schools.

Diet

It feeds on a variety of marine organisms, including smaller fish, crustaceans, and zooplankton and its diet varies based on food availability in the environment.

Reproduction

Reproduction occurs in winter. Females lay eggs in deep waters and young Alaska Pollocks spend their early years in shallow waters before migrating to more open waters.

Economic Importance

Alaska Pollock is one of the main fishery resources, especially for the production of surimi and fillets and it is an important food source and plays a significant role in the fishing economy.

Conservation

The species is subject to overfishing in some areas, necessitating sustainable fishery management.

Efforts are underway to monitor populations and regulate fishing.

Studies

Studies in the literature have reported only the release of peptides from the low-molecular-weight Theragra chalcogramma by enzymatic hydrolysis and demonstrated their wound-healing ability (1).

This fish has potential as a new ingredient for the development of anti-photoaging foods (2).

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Yang, T., Zhang, K., Li, B., & Hou, H. (2018). Effects of oral administration of peptides with low molecular weight from Alaska Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) on cutaneous wound healing. Journal of Functional Foods, 48, 682-691.

Abstract. Protein supplements play an important role in wound healing. The effect of collagen peptide (PCP) and flesh protein peptide (FPP) from Alaska Pollock on wound healing was investigated. The molecular weight distributions of PCP and FPP were in a range of 430–1000 Da and 100–1000 Da, respectively. Compared to vehicle group, the wound healing activities in PCP and FPP were significantly enhanced, which could be corroborated by the increase of wound healing rate, hydroxylproline content, and tensile strength in rat wound model (P < 0.05). H&E showed a near-normal epidermis structure of PCP and FPP on day 12, but vehicle group displayed poor re-epithelialization. PCP and FPP increased the levels of bFGF, EGF, TGF-β1 and TβRII (P < 0.05), and decreased the content of Smad7 in TGF/Smad signaling pathway. Therefore, FPP and PCP can be used as effective ingredients in the treatment of wound healing.

(2) Xu D, Zhao M, Lin H, Li C. Theragra chalcogramma Hydrolysates, Rich in Gly-Leu-Pro-Ser-Tyr-Thr, Exerts Anti-Photoaging Potential via Targeting MAPK and NF-κB Pathways in SD Rats. Mar Drugs. 2022 Apr 24;20(5):286. doi: 10.3390/md20050286. PMID: 35621937; PMCID: PMC9144478.

Abstract. Previous studies have revealed that excessive exposure to UV irradiation is the main cause of skin photoaging and the signaling pathways of MAPK and NF-κB are involved in this progression. The present study aims to investigate the anti-photoaging effects of low molecular weight hydrolysates from Theragra chalcogramma (TCH) and to clarify the underlying mechanism. The degradation of mechanical barrier functions in photoaged skin was substantially ameliorated after TCH administration; meanwhile, TCH significantly elevated the antioxidant capacity and suppressed the over-production of inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. Moreover, the histopathological deteriorations such as epidermal hyperplasia and dermal loss were significantly alleviated, along with the increase in procollagen type I content and decrease in MMP-1 activity (p < 0.05). Furthermore, TCH effectively blocked the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways through inhibition of the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, ERK, iκB, and p65 proteins. Collectively, these data indicate that TCH has potential as a novel ingredient for the development of anti-photoaging foods.