1. Seasonality in lipid classes content and their composition in the gonad-visceral mass and adductor muscle of the surf clam Mactra stultorum from the north coast of Tunisia.
- Author
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Chetoui, Imene, Ghribi, Feriel, Bejaoui, Safa, Belhassen, Dalya, and El Cafsi, M'hamed
- Subjects
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GONADS , *MUSCLE mass , *SPRING , *SUMMER , *AUTUMN , *FATTY acids - Abstract
The present study aimed to evaluate the seasonal evolution of lipid classes (polar (PL) and neutral lipids (NL)) in the gonad–visceral mass (GV) and adductor muscle (AM) of Mactra stultorum collected from the northern coast of Tunisia. Our results have shown that NL was the major lipids in GV. However, the PL characterizes the AM. Significant decreases in the PL contents of both tissues were recorded during the summer season. Besides, NL was accumulated mostly in GV during winter and spring seasons, which correspond to the gametogenetic and ripe stages. The related fatty acid composition of NL and PL changed significantly between seasons. Our data demonstrated that PUFAs and SFA were the major FA's in PL and NL fractions, respectively. The seasonal fluctuation of PUFA-PL levels in GV was highly during spring as compared to summer. The percent of NL and PUFA-NL levels of GV appeared to be relate to the food availability which was confirmed by a positive correlation with chlorophyll a content. Specific variations were noted in GV as evidence by higher significant levels of DHA-PL and EPA-PL during autumn. Inversely, AM exhibited lower levels of DHA-PL during spring that could be explained by the probably transfer of fatty acids from AM to the GV to sustain the gametogenesis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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