Nutritional Quality and Fatty Acids Composition of Invasive Chinese Mitten Crab from Odra Estuary (Baltic Basin)

Abstract

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is recognized as an invasive species in Europe but increasing fishing efforts may hold economic benefits and yield positive ecological and nutritional outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the yield of edible parts and the compositional and nutritional characteristics of this crab, especially as a source of n-3 PUFA. The overall yield of edible parts amounted to 38.09%, with males (27.72%) exhibiting a higher meat content compared to females (25.30%). The gonads displayed the highest protein content (24.12%), while the hepatopancreas (11.67%) showcased the highest fat content. Furthermore, the fatty acid composition varied depending on the distribution within different crab segments and gender and individual size. Notably, the gonad lipids contained the most nutritionally valuable n-3 fatty acids, followed by muscle and hepatopancreas lipids. The determined index of atherogenicity (IA) from 0.2 for gonadal lipids to 0.42 for hepatopancreas lipids, index of thrombogenicity (IT) in the range of 0.10 for gonads to 0.41 for hepatopancreas, and flesh lipid quality (FLQ) from 6.9 for hepatopancreas to 23 for muscle lipids indicate their pro-health properties. The ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids showed Chinese mitten crab as an excellent source of oil that can be used for food fortification and dietary supplement production.

Comparison of Growth Performance, Nutritional Composition, and Muscle Transcriptome between Two Cultured Varieties of the Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

“…The muscle and hepatopancreas are key edible parts of Chinese mitten crabs, significantly influencing consumer preferences and market prices [23]. Tang et al conducted a comparative analysis of muscle flavor in wild Chinese mitten crabs sourced from different rivers, revealing that those from the Min River exhibited the highest meat yield (32.94 ± 2.93%) and greatest TAA content (1404.01 ± 2.83 mg/100 g), with sweet amino acids comprising 64.9% [24].…”

Comparison of Body Characteristics, Carotenoid Composition, and Nutritional Quality of Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) with Different Hepatopancreas Redness

“…Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), a native species from the East Pacific coast of China and the Korean Peninsula, is widely distributed in the United States and some European and Asian countries. From the 1930s to the early 21 st century, their range expanded to include the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe, North America, and Iran [1]. Globally, the aquaculture of E. sinensis is rapidly expanding, reaching a productivity of 775.9 thousand tons in 2020 [2].…”