The Chilean scallop Argopecten purpuratus (Lamarck, 1819): I. fatty acid composition and lipid content of six organs

This paper describes the distribution of lipids and fatty acids in differen t organs of Argopecten purpuratus broodstock. The female gonad and the dige stive gland showed the highest lipid content, moderate lipid levels were pr esent in the gills and male gonad while the mantle and especially the adduc tor muscle exhibited the lowest lipid content. A principal component analys is of the fatty acids of the total lipids separated the organs in four majo r groups: gills and mantle (I), adductor and male gonad (II), female gonad (III) and digestive gland (IV). A special feature of the gills and mantle w as the presence of high levels of plasmalogens recognized by the peaks for vinyl methyl ethers from dimethylacetal degradation accompanying peaks for methyl esters of fatty acids in the GC profiles, and an unidentified fatty acid (22?). The highest level of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly EP A and DHA) was found in the adductor. Similarities between the fatty acid c omposition of the triglyceride fraction of the female gonad and the digesti ve gland (e.g. the high level of 14:0 and 18:4n-3) indicated the transfer o f lipids from the lipid-rich digestive gland to the female gonad. Trimethyl tridecanoic acid (TMTD) was found nearly exclusively in the polar lipid fra ction of the digestive gland. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights res erved.