Regional differences in fatty acid composition of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) and scallop (Patinopecten yesoensis) in the coastal areas of China

Abstract

The fatty acid composition in organisms is mainly determined by food sources and environmental conditions. They can reflect the specific living environment of organisms. In this work, we studied the regional differences in fatty acid composition of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) and scallop (Patinopecten yesoensis) in the coastal regions of China, and analyzed the effects of different geographical and environmental conditions on the fatty acid composition of A. japonicus and P. yesoensis. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reveal the differentiating effects of fatty acid composition on A. japonicus and P. yesoensis from different regions and evaluate the feasibility of using fatty acid composition to origin identification of A. japonicus and P. yesoensis. The results showed that there were significant differences in the fatty acid compositions of A. japonicus and P. yesoensis in different regions and seasons, mainly because of the regional differences and seasonal changes of the food sources. On the basis of the analysis of characteristic fatty acid, the main food sources of A. japonicus were diatoms, and the main food sources of P. yesoensis were diatoms and dinoflagellates. We concluded that the fatty acid composition can reflect the living environment of A. japonicus and P. yesoensis, and the combined use of fatty acid composition and PCA can be an effective method for identifying the geographical origins of A. japonicus and P. yesoensis. The conclusions of this study can provide technical support for the origin traceability of sea cucumber and scallop.