Fat Soluble Vitamins,Cholesterol, and Fatty Acid Composition of Wild and Farmed Black Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Consumed in Bulgaria

The most commercially important mollusk species from the Bulgarian Black Sea is the black mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). There is limited information about fat soluble vitamins, cholesterol, and fatty acid content of the Bulgarian Black Sea mussel. The aims of the present study are to determine and compare the fat soluble vitamin contents as well as relative daily intake of vitamins, cholesterol, fatty acid content, and lipid quality indices (atherogenic, thrombogenic) in the wild and farmed black mussels. Fat soluble vitamins and cholesterol were analyzed simultaneously using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In both mussels, fat soluble vitamins A and E were in high amounts, but they were a better source of vitamin D₃. Cholesterol contents were 67.54 ± 0.50 mg/100 g ww (wild) and 49.88 ± 0.30 mg/100 g ww (farmed). The fatty acid distributions of wild and farmed mussels are: saturated > polyunsaturated > monounsaturated fatty acid. The n3/n6 and polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratios were greater than that recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO). A 100-g edible portion of both mussels contained from 0.252 g (wild) to 0.425 g (farmed) of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3).     

Effects of protein and carbohydrate levels on survival,consumption and gonad index in adult sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson 1857) from Baja California,Mexico

A greater understanding of dietary protein and carbohydrate levels with regard to gonad production in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus would increase our nutritional knowledge of this sea urchin and guide the development of formulated diets for such aquaculture target species. A total of 255 purple sea urchins were captured from Ensenada Bay, Mexico, and maintained in 200‐L tanks for 9 weeks. Formulated diets that contained 30%, 26%, 23%, 20% and 17% of protein and 42%, 46%, 50%, 54% and 58% carbohydrates were offered ad libitum. Survival was affected by diets; urchins that were fed high‐protein–low‐carbohydrate diet experienced decreased survival. No significant differences were found in gonad index, but gonad production efficiency was lower in urchins that were fed a medium‐low‐protein–medium‐high‐carbohydrate diet. Urchins that were fed high carbohydrate levels utilized protein more efficiently and showed better digestibility of the diet and protein. These data suggest that all of our diets support gonad growth, but in terms of consumption, a diet that contains protein levels of 17% and 23% with carbohydrate levels of 50% and 58% are beneficial for S. purpuratus.     

凡纳滨对虾养殖塘叶绿素a与水质因子的多元回归分析

2009年4-9月期间,对上海市奉贤区某凡纳滨对虾养殖场22个养殖池塘水体叶绿素a、水温、pH、溶解氧、透明度、悬浮物(SS)、总有机碳(TOC)、五日生化需氧量(BOD₅)、高锰酸盐指数(COD_Mn)等15项水质因子进行测定。取164组测定数据,进行描述性统计,分析叶绿素a与各项因子的相关性系数。分析结果显示,与叶绿素a呈极显著线性正相关的水质因子为SS、TOC、BOD₅、COD_Mn、TN、TP;呈显著正相关的为DO;而叶绿素a与透明度呈极显著线性负相关,与PO^3-₄-P呈显著线性负相关;与水温、pH、NO^-₂-N、 NO^-₃-N、NH₃-N则未呈现显著相关性。根据多元线性回归选择自变量的原则,选择了TOC、TN、PO^3-₄-P和TP₄项水质因子,建立了叶绿素a与4项水质因子的逐步回归模型:Chl.a =-0.054 5+0.0034 9 TOC+0.015 3 TN-0.418 PO^3-₄-P+0.276 TP(r=0.715 5)。利用偏回归系数检验各水质因子对叶绿素a的影响,结果表明,对叶绿素a影响从大到小依次是TP、TOC、PO^3-₄-P和TN。研究结果对进一步探讨养殖池塘生态系统的变化规律及水环境质量保护提供了依据。     

Seaweed Blends as a Valuable Source of Polyunsaturated and Healthy Fats for Nutritional and Food Applications

Seaweeds are considered healthy and sustainable food. Although their consumption is modest in Western countries, the demand for seaweed in food markets is increasing in Europe. Each seaweed species has unique nutritional and functional features. The preparation of blends, obtained by mixing several seaweeds species, allows the obtaining of maximum benefits and ingredients with single characteristics. In this work, five seaweed blends, commercially available and produced under organic conditions in Europe, were characterized. The proximal composition included contents of ash (20.28–28.68% DW), proteins (17.79–26.61% DW), lipids (0.55–1.50% DW), and total carbohydrates (39.47–47.37% DW). Fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), allowing quantification of healthy fatty acids, namely n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and calculation of lipid quality indices. Each blend showed a characteristic PUFA content in the lipid pool (35.77–49.43% of total fatty acids) and the content in essential and healthy n-3 PUFA is highlighted. The atherogenicity (0.54–0.72) and thrombogenicity (0.23–0.45) indices evidenced a good nutritional value of lipid fractions. As nutritional and environmentally attractive products, the consumption of the studied seaweed blends can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.     

Structural changes in humic substances after long-term fertilization of a calcareous soil with pig slurries

Pig slurries are widely used on calcareous soils in European rainfed systems. Here we assess their impact on the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) and on the composition of humic-type substances (HTS). Seven doses of slurry (five from fattening pigs and two from sows) ranging from 1.0 to 4.8 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ of organic matter were evaluated after a period of 12 years and compared with mineral fertilizer treatment. At the end of the last annual cropping season (September), SOC was quantified, and HTS were isolated by alkaline extraction followed by acid precipitation, and studied by visible spectroscopy (800–400 nm) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (4000–400 cm⁻¹). Following the trend in the slurry organic matter applied rates, SOC increased from 9.5 g C kg⁻¹ (mineral treatment) to 13.8 g C kg⁻¹. This SOC increase was equivalent to c. 25.4% of the slurry organic carbon applied. The incorporation of aliphatic structures, mainly polyalkyl, from slurries into the HTS tends to modify the composition of the soil organic matter (SOM), which is reflected in a decrease in the intensity of FT-IR peaks related to aromatic structures. Despite the trend of significant increase in SOC with fattening slurries, mainly from the organic matter rate of 1.6 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (c. 185 kg N ha⁻¹), the composition of the HTS showed an important aliphatic enhancement. The FTIR results showed that using exclusively the relative intensities of specific peaks (alkyl, carboxyl, aromatic and amide groups) as variables for the discriminant analysis, it is possible to identify HA between different groups of soils treated with progressive levels of slurry. Although the new aliphatic components could be considered important to improve soil physical quality, after the incorporation of additional SOM, the spectroscopic characteristics of HTS in soils treated with slurries suggested a weak effect in long-term C sequestration, as the newly incorporated OC forms are not qualitatively similar to the presumably stable native SOM. These potential changes in SOC and SOM composition at field level are constrained by the maximum allowed N rates from organic origin in some agricultural systems.