Lipid metabolism of the prawn Penaeus japonicus during maturation: Variation in lipid profiles of the ovary and hepatopancreas

Abstract

Abstract 1. 1. Lipids (TL) were extracted from the ovary and hepatopancreas of prawns, Penaeus japonicus, with varying degrees of ovarian maturation and were analysed for lipid class composition, fatty acid composition of triglycerides (TG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), and possible fatty acid combination of PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). 2. 2. The concentrations (% of fresh wt) and quantities (mg/prawn) of ovarian TL increased slightly and drastically, respectively, with increasing maturity in terms of gonadosomatic index (GSI). TG, PC and PE were the major lipid classes responsible for increases in the quantity of ovarian TL during maturation. 3. 3. In the ovary and hepatopancreas, as ovarian maturation proceeded, TG showed increases in the proportion of monoene fatty acids such as 16:1 and 18:1, whereas PC exhibited increases in the proportion of highly unsaturated fatty acids such as 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3 with a concomitant decrease in 16:0 and 16:1. 4. 4. No marked variation was found in the proportion of the possible fatty acid combinations, in terms of carbon numbers, of both ovarian PC and PE during maturation.