Black Sea Mussels Qualitative and Quantitative Chemical Analysis: Nutritional Benefits and Possible Risks through Consumption

Abstract

Mussels have a particular nutritional value, representing a highly valued food source and thus sought after worldwide. Their meat is a real culinary delicacy, rich in proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, trace elements, enzymes, and vitamins. The seasonal variation of mussels’ biochemical composition has been studied to determine the best harvesting period to capitalize on various biologically active fractions. In this work biochemical determinations have been performed on fresh flesh samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis specimens from the Black Sea coast to study seasonal variations in mussels’ biochemical compounds. An analysis of significant lipid classes and the fatty acid composition of lipid extracts obtained from mussel flesh has also been performed. Since mussels retain pollutants from the marine environment, in parallel, the concentration of heavy metals in the meat of mussels collected for the analysis of the chemical composition was investigated. The impact and risk of heavy metal poisoning due to food consumption of mussels contaminated due to pollution of the marine harvesting area was evaluated by the bio-concentration factor of metals and estimated daily intakes of heavy metals through mussel consumption.

Lysosomal Membrane Stability of Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) as a Biomarker of Cellular Stress for Environmental Contamination

“…Our study indicated the low-to-moderate HM contamination of mussels at all sampling sites. The results agreed with previous studies carried out along the Romanian Black Sea coast [ 31 , 35 , 41 ]. The HM levels found in our study were similar to those from the Turkish Black Sea coast [ 35 ] and Baltic Sea [ 9 ], higher than those from the southeastern Adriatic Sea [ 1 ], and relatively low compared with the results of other studies carried out in the Gulf of Biscay [ 37 ] and Mediterranean Sea [ 36 ].…”

Microplastics: A Real Global Threat for Environment and Food Safety: A State of the Art Review

“…On the other hand, trophic transfer, also known as bioaccumulation, exposes humans to chemicals released by microplastics indirectly. More precisely, these chemicals are compounds that enter into the composition of microplastics or persistent pollutants adsorbed by them (pesticides, toxic metals) [ 155 , 156 , 157 , 158 , 159 ]. These chemicals accumulate in the body from multiple sources.…”

Assessment of Dietary and Lifestyle Quality among the Romanian Population in the Post-Pandemic Period

“…Polluted marine areas for harvesting seafood or fish should also be avoided [26][27][28]. Eating contaminated food can seriously affect health [29][30][31]. In addition, it is essential to avoid excessive administration of drugs or their consumption without the supervision of a specialist [32,33] due to their potential toxicity.…”