Nutritional value and fatty acid profile of two wild edible limpets from the Madeira Archipelago

Igor Fernandes,Nereida Cordeiro,Tomásia Fernandes

doi:10.1007/s00217-019-03234-y

Abstract

Patella aspera and Patella candei are two abundant limpet species commercially exploited and often used as a delicacy in the Madeira Archipelago, but there is a lack of scientific knowledge about these species. This study investigated the nutritional value and fatty acids of this species across the coast of Madeira Archipelago. The lipid content (7.71–12.60% dw), proteins (48.22–64.09% dw), ashes (11.12–23.12% dw) and carbohydrates (4.5–10.9% dw) were determined in P. aspera and P. candei at different collection sites. In the fatty acid composition, a total of 23 fatty acids (FAs) were identified. P. aspera showed the highest amount of monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs, 35.02%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 12.59%), and P. candei presented the highest level of oleic acid (OA, 28.25%), polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs, 27.26%) and arachidonic acid (AA, 11.38%). The Σω3/Σω6 dietary ratio presented levels > 0.25 suggesting that these marine molluscs are a good source of ω3 for dietary intake. Within each specie significant differences (p < 0.05) across sites were observed. High amounts of essential nutrients were shown in Patella species collected at Selvagens site while poorest levels were shown in Patella collected at Lido. The evaluation of the nutritional traits of P. candei and P. aspera shows that these limpets are good sources of essential fatty acids for human health and that the distribution of limpets is a key factor when determining its dietary value.

Highlights

The global consumption of seafood has been increasing steadily in the last few years, presenting an average 9.01 kg per capita in 1960 to 18.98 kg per capita in 2013 [1]
Research regarding the relations between diet and disease have linked the intake of these fatty acids with the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, reduction of coronary heart disease, decrease of mild hypertension and alleviation of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis [8,9,10,11,12,13]
Despite the high consumption of Patella candei and Patella aspera, scarce or non-existent information is found with respect to their biochemical composition

Summary

Introduction

The global consumption of seafood has been increasing steadily in the last few years, presenting an average 9.01 kg per capita in 1960 to 18.98 kg per capita in 2013 [1]. In Madeira Archipelago (Portugal), limpets are typically found on the rocky shores and form part of the staple diet of the local population. In this region, Patella aspera and Patella candei are two abundant limpet species commercially exploited and often used as a delicacy in the regional gastronomy [2, 3]. Humans do not have the ability to synthesize them and their intake through diet is crucial. Research regarding the relations between diet and disease have linked the intake of these fatty acids with the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, reduction of coronary heart disease, decrease of mild hypertension and alleviation of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis [8,9,10,11,12,13]

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