PURINE CONTENT IN GRASS SHRIMP DURING STORAGE AS RELATED TO FRESHNESS

In grass shrimp (Penaeus monodon), the combined total content of the u ricogenic bases adenine (Ade) and hypoxanthine (Hyp) decreased gradual ly during storage. Whether stored at 5 degrees C or at room temperatur e (22 degrees C), a negative regression of log Ade and a positive regr ession of the Kp value (Hyp/Ade) were observed. Volatile basic nitroge n (VBN) increased during storage at 5 degrees C and 22 degrees C, Corr elations between the content of log Ade and VBN at 5 degrees C and 22 degrees C were -0.9248 (p < 0.01) and -0.8139 (p < 0.05, while those b etween the Kp value and VBN were 0.9557 (p < 0.001) and 0.8197 (p < 0. 05), respectively. At the point where the shrimp would remain acceptab le, the upper limits of Kp were 1.42 and 1.29 for storage at 5 degrees C and 22 degrees C, respectively; the corresponding lower limits of A de were 18.72 and 20.42 mu mole/g dry wt.