Iron Profile of Octopus Hubbsorum (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) for Enrichment of the Mexican Diet

Abstract

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) declared that 12% of the world's population is undernourished while in Mexico the number is around 5%. Minerals are essential for the daily diet; iron (Fe) is an important mineral on human welfare because it has a main role on the function of the immune and central nervous systems, among others. Most Mexicans fulfill their iron requirements from vegetables, which are poorly absorbed; nevertheless, in coastal populations, where seafood-rich in iron-is available, it is not consumed on a regular diet. The aim of this work was to analyze minerals, focusing on the iron content of Octopus hubbsorum B (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae), an animal of the Mexican Pacific coast. Three specimens were analyzed, two from the north and one from central Pacific Ocean. Data obtained for the central Pacific Octopus was 0.008% and data for the North Pacific were 0.008% and 0.011%, repectively. In conclusion, the supply of iron for the Mexican diet provided by Octopus hubbsorum B is significant, therefore is recommended to consume more of this resource, to diminish iron deficiency, a worldwide problem, and to improve human health.