Abstract
Geographic traceability of seafood is key for controlling its quality and safeguarding consumers’ interest. The present study assessed if the fatty acid (FA) profile of the adductor muscle (AM) of fresh cockles (Cerastoderma edule) can be used to discriminate the origin of specimens collected in different bivalve capture/production areas legally defined within a coastal lagoon. Results suggest that this biochemical approach holds the potential to trace sampling locations with a spatial resolution <10 Km, even for areas with identical classification for bivalve production. Cockles further away from the inlet, i.e. in areas exposed to a higher saline variation, exhibited lower levels of saturated fatty acids, which are key for stabilizing the bilayer structure of cell membranes, and a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which enhance bilayer fluidity. Results suggest that the structural nature of the lipids present in the AM provides a stable fatty acid signature and holds potential for tracing the origin of bivalves to their capture/production areas.
Highlights
IntroductionMolecular markers (e.g. microsatellites) have already been successfully used to identify the origin of bivalves (e.g. razor clam, Ensis siliqua) collected in locations tens to hundreds of Km apart[14,15]
To protect public health and address current European legislation, it is paramount to trace the origin of captured/produced bivalves, not solely to a given estuary/coastal lagoon but to its capture/production area
To provide a potential tool for bivalves traceability, the present study aimed to evaluate if the fatty acid (FA) profile of the adductor muscle (AM) of fresh cockles could be used as a method to discriminate the origin of specimens collected in different channels of Ria de Aveiro, either with identical or different classifications for bivalve capture/ production
Summary
Molecular markers (e.g. microsatellites) have already been successfully used to identify the origin of bivalves (e.g. razor clam, Ensis siliqua) collected in locations tens to hundreds of Km apart[14,15] This approach is unlikely to have enough resolution to discriminate specimens originating from adjacent capturing/production areas within the same estuary/coastal lagoon due to the genetic flow that occurs between these habitats. The fatty acid (FA) profile displayed by the adductor muscle (AM) of bivalves (e.g. great scallop, Pecten maximus and Astarte sulcata) has been used to evidence significant differences in specimens originating from geographically close populations[16,17] It remains unclear whether this biochemical approach has enough resolution to discriminate specimens originating from adjacent areas (
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