Lipid Components of the Cultured Pearl Oyster (Pinctada fucata martensii) in Korea

Protein, lipid classes, and fatty acid composition, including n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), were analyzed in the soft parts, which we differentiated as the adductor muscles and 'other portions,' from the cultured pearl oyster after the pearl was harvested and before the nucleus was grafted to evaluate the nutritional qualities of the soft parts. Total lipid content was higher in the other portions of the soft parts ($1.25-1.26\%$) than in the adductor muscles ($0.58­0.65\%$) in both pearl oyster samples, whereas protein content was higher in the latter ($15.5­18.7\%$) than in the former ($11.2-13.9\%$; P<0.05). The percentage of total lipids (TLs) consisting of phospholipids (PLs) was higher in the adductor muscles ($60.4-68.3\%$) than in the other portions ($40.6-47.0\%$), but the percentage of nonpolar lipids (NLs) was higher in the other portions of the soft parts. The prominent lipid classes were free sterol (FS) and triglyceride (TG) in the NLs and phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in the PLs. The adductor muscles contained high levels of FS and all PL classes, while the other portions contained high levels of all NL classes, especially TG (but not FS; P<0.05). The prominent fatty acids were 22:6n-3 ($17.2-24.9\%$), 16:0 ($8.35-15.8\%$), 20:5n-3 ($7.95-14.9\%$), 18:0 dimethyl acetal (DMA, $4.79-13.5\%$), 18:0 ($4.50-6.16\%$), and 20:4n-6 ($4.36-5.43\%$). The percentages of 22:6n-3, 20:4n-6, and 18:0 DMA were higher in the adductor muscles than in the other portions of both pearl oyster samples, while those of 20:5n-3 and 16:0 were higher in the other portions (P<0.05). The levels of these food components were similar to those of other bivalves or were higher, especially the protein content, indicating that the soft parts of pearl oysters, which are currently wasted, have food value.