The Open Food Science Journal

2009, 3 : 93-97
Published online 2009 October 21. DOI: 10.2174/1874256400903010093
Publisher ID: TOFSJ-3-93

Fatty Acid Profile and Total Lipid Content of Chionoecetes opilio Shells

María Vilasoa Martínez , Ana Rodríguez-Bernaldo de Quirós , Julia López Hernández and M. Asución Lage Yusty
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

ABSTRACT

Abstract: In the present study, the Soxhlet method was used to determine the total lipid content of Chionoecetes opilio shells. Several parameters were optimized in order to achieve the maximum extraction efficiency.

The fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection using a one-step-extractionmethylation method to obtain fatty acid methyl esters. GC-MS was used as a confirmatory technique.

Twenty-one fatty acids were identified, and as it was expected, a high content of 􀀁-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were found, representing 36 % of the total fatty acid content.

The results obtained indicate that snow crab shells might be considered as an innovative source of 􀀁3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for aquaculture feeding purposes.