Seasonal variation of nutritional profiles of green mussel (Perna viridis L.) collected from the coastal areas of Bangladesh

Abstract

Marine mollusks are a valuable source of healthy food because they are low in calories and fats but high in proteins. Green Mussel, Perna viridis are highly esteemed sea food and considered a delicacy throughout the world. However, seasonal variation of nutritional profiles of green mussels along the coastal regions of Bangladesh is not well reported to date. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to analyze the seasonal (monthly) variations of nutritional profiles of green mussel collected from the Maheshkhali Channel, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The proportion of protein was high and found to be varied seasonally from 16.3 -19.9% on a wet basis (54.5-86.1% on a dry basis). Among the ten essential amino acids, eight were found in the muscle of P. viridis. The fat content of green mussel was found to vary from 2.0-2.9 % on a wet basis (6.7-12.6% on a dry basis), with a high amount in the winter season and low amount in autumn. The fat of the green mussel contains a higher amount of long-chain omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3). The DHA and EPA contents of the green mussels were also found to be varied seasonally. The result showed that marine bivalve P. viridis is a valuable food source for human consumption, due to its high-quality protein and well-balanced lipid profile.