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.
Highlights
Mytilus galloprovincialis is one of the most widespread invertebrates in the Black Sea, whose rich content in valuable nutrients has brought it to researchers’ attention
A summary of results obtained concerning seasonal variations in mussel flesh composition is shown in Figure 2 and Table 2
The results showed that the content of heavy metals is higher in mussel samples collected from the industrial area than those from the harbor and beach area
Summary
Mytilus galloprovincialis is one of the most widespread invertebrates in the Black Sea, whose rich content in valuable nutrients has brought it to researchers’ attention. The remarkable nutritional quality of mussel flesh is due to the proportion of vital components necessary for human nutrition: protein, fat, carbohydrates, macro- and micronutrients, enzymes, vitamins, etc. Mussels are considered authentic delicacies, along with shrimp, lobster, crab, cuttlefish, octopus, and other seafood [1,2]. The first to use the medicinal properties of mussels were the Chinese. Mollusk meat is considered a medicine used especially in oncological, cardiovascular, ocular, and gynecological diseases [3,4,5,6]. Mussel meat is known for its nutritional value due to the high quality of proteins, the presence of essential free amino acids, and water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The total content of free amino acids reaches an average of 0.7% in fresh meat, and of these, 40%
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