Fatty acid composition evaluation of edible parts of Eriocheir sinensis in intensive ponds of Gucheng waters.

In Gucheng Lake, Jiangsu Province, China, randomly selected crabs were fed 2 diet types. Crab crude oil methyl ester analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fatty acid compositions in the 3 edible parts of a crab - the hepatopancreas, gonad, and muscle - were analyzed. C16:1 and C18:2 were significantly higher in most commercial pellet feed-feeding crabs than in small trash fish-feeding crabs, while the opposite was observed for eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Phytanic acid reached 1.93% in the hepatopancreas of small trash fish-feeding crabs. Furan fatty-acid-DiMe (11,5) contents in the testes of small trash fish-feeding crabs was 1.49%. These values were higher in male crabs than in female crabs. According to a standard ratio of 1:1:1 which meaning the saturated fathy acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) were 33.33 each, fatty acid structure analysis of crab edible parts showed that SFA:MUFA:PUFA of crab edible parts was 2.3-4.1:2.9-5.0:1.3-4.8. The highest muscle score was 29.53 in male trash fish-feeding crabs, and the lowest hepatopancreas score was -40.81 in female commercial pellet feed-feeding crabs. The n-6/n-3 ratio was 0.36-2.48. Muscle ratio was the lowest in female commercial pellet feed-feeding crabs. Thus, small trash fish-feeding and commercial pellet feed-feeding crabs are healthy foods. Overall, for consumption, the males of small trash fish-feeding crabs were better than the females, the muscle was better than the gonads and hepatopancreas, and the testis was better than the ovary.