Fatty acid profile of Crassostrea rhizophorae from Chacopata and La Restinga lagoons (Venezuela) and Caroni Swamp (Trinidad and Tobago)

Abstract

 A comparative evaluation was made of the fatty acid content in total lipid, phospholipid and triacylglycerol extracts of Crassostrea rhizophorae, collected from Chacopata and La Restinga lagoons (Venezuela) and Caroni Swamp (Trinidad and Tobago). The phospholipids and triacylglycerols were separated from the extract by preparative thin-layer chromatography. The fatty acid esterification of these lipids followed by gas chromatography allowed the characterization and quantification of the fatty acids present in the three samples studied. The saturated fatty acid content was higher than the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the phospholipids and triacylglycerols, while the monounsaturated fatty acids occurred in lower proportion, except for the triacylglycerols from the Chacopata sample, which showed high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (48.30%) and low concentrations of saturated fatty acids (22.70%). The total percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher for phospho-lipids than for triacylglycerols. In the case of total lipids, a high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed, followed by saturated fatty acids; monounsaturated fatty acids showed the lowest concentration. Based on the high concentra- tions of lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids of C. rhizophorae found, this species is recommended for human consumption.