Dietary enhancement of selected fatty acid biosynthesis in the digestive gland of Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk

The fatty acid composition of the digestive gland from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis subjected to three different dietary regimens for 30 days was analyzed. Samples were collected at the beginning and end of the trial to obtain a comprehensive picture of fatty acid dynamics. Group A was unfed; group B received a diet consisting of 100% Thalassiosira weissflogii and, thus, similar to natural food; and group C received a diet consisting of 100% wheat germ conferring a 18:2 omega-6 abundance. Results indicate that fatty acid composition of lipid and phospholipid classes was affected by dietary treatments. However, adult mussel homeostatic skills minimized effects, and thus, only wheat germ diet deeply modified the fatty acid composition. Furthermore, in group C, the occurrence of the non-methylene-interrupted trienoic fatty acids was indicative of de novo fatty acid synthesis presumably because of active fatty acid elongation and delta 5 desaturation system, also supported by the general omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid decrease.