Variation in lipid composition of Chinese mitten-handed crab, Eriocheir sinensis during ovarian maturation

This experiment was conducted to investigate the variation in lipid composi tion during the ovarian maturation of the crab Eriocheir sinensis. The Chin ese mitten-handed crab broodstock was divided into six different maturation periods according to the size and color of ovary. Ovary, hepatopancreas, m uscle, and hemolymph of broodstock in different maturation periods were ana lyzed for total lipid and fatty acids using gas chromatography, and lipid c lasses by thin-layer chromatography. The ovarian lipid concentration (expre ssed as percent wet ovarian weight) increased steadily from stage 11 (5.4%) to stage IV (19.1%), and decreased to the lowest levels after spawning (st age V, 6.6%). The hepatopancreatic lipid concentration (expressed as percen t wet hepatopancreatic weight) increased with maturity of the ovaries, reac hed a maximum at stage III2 (29.9%), and decreased during the subsequent pe riod to spawning (16.7%). The muscular and hemolymph lipid concentration di d not change markedly during the ovarian development. These results suggest the possible movement of hepatopancreatic lipids to the ovaries during the ovarian maturation. Both triacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine were resp onsible for the increase in ovarian lipid concentration during sexual matur ation. The fatty acids of total lipid, triacylglycerol, and phosphatidylcho line of the ovaries did not vary systematically during the ovarian maturati on, but the ratio between n-3PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) and n-6PUFA did change regularly with the ovarian lipid. These suggest that enough PUFA , especially n-3PUFA, should be supplied to the crab during ovarian maturat ion. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.