Mineral, Fatty and Amino Acids Composition of Three Species of Mollusks (Egeria radiata, Limicolaria flammea and Viviparus contectus)

The present study investigates the mineral, fatty acid and amino acids composition of E. radiata, V. contectus and L. flammea. All samples analyzed in this study were obtained from Yenagoa in Bayelsa state of Nigeria. Mineral composition was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), fatty acids were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) while amino acids composition was determined by gas chromatography (GC). Eight (8) nutritionally essential minerals were detected in all samples analyzed in this study; the concentration of minerals in order of increasing concentration was Cu>Mn>Mg>Na>Ca>Zn>K>Fe, Cu>Mn>Na>Mg>Ca>Zn>K>Fe and Cu>Mn>Mg>Ca>Na>Zn>Fe>K for E. radiata, V. contectus and L. flammea respectively. Lauric acid, myristic acid, Palmitic acid, Margaric acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, Linoleic acid, arachidic acid and arachidonic acid were detected in varying amounts in all samples. Palmitic acid concentration in E. radiata was the most abundant in all samples while oleic acid concentration in L. flammea was the least. A total of eighteen (18) amino acids were detected in all samples analyzed in this study: glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, serine, tryptophan, threonine, Methionine, phenylalanine, histidine, proline, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, tyrosine, arginine, lysine and Cysteine. In E. radiata, leucine had the highest concentration (21.287mg/100g) while proline was the least (2.854mg/100g); glutamic acid and methionine were the highest and least (19.389mg/100g and 2.996mg/100g respectively) in V. Contectus samples and Histidine and tryptophan were the highest and least respectively (11.639mg/100g and 1.415mg/100g). Aspartate, lysine and histidine were not detected in both samples. From the findings of this study, the samples analyzed in this study are good sources of fatty acids, amino acids and nutritionally essential minerals hence their consumption is encouraged.