Metabolomics of the hepatopancreas in Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis)

Long Zhang; Ning-Ping Tao; Xugan Wu; Xichang Wang

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110914

Metabolomics of the hepatopancreas in Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis)

Food Res Int. 2022 Feb:152:110914. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110914. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Authors

Long Zhang¹, Ning-Ping Tao², Xugan Wu³, Xichang Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
² College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, Shanghai 201306, China.
³ Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Aquatic Animal Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address: xgwu@shou.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic-Product Processing and Preservation, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address: xcwang@shou.edu.cn.

PMID: 35181085
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110914

Abstract

Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is an important economic seafood in China, and the hepatopancreatic dim color and bitter taste of crabs significantly affects the consumer's acceptance. The crabs with brown hepatopancreas (BH) generally taste bitter, while the orange hepatopancreas (OH) does not taste bitter. While the metabolites perform their physiological functions, their metabolic relationship may directly affect the color and taste quality of the crab hepatopancreas. This study investigated the metabolic relationship of key metabolites related to the color and bitterness in the OH and BH of E. sinensis. The contents of total bile acids (BAs) (10.62 vs. 3.72 μg/g), bitter free amino acids (FAAs) (5.15 vs. 2.46 mg/g) and lutein (6.88 vs. 2.55 μg/g) in the BH group were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those in the OH group, while β-carotene (314.47 vs. 478.52 μg/g) in the BH group was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that in the OH group. In addition, BAs were positively correlated with lutein, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (SFA and MUFA) and bitter FAAs, and negatively correlated with color value, β-carotene and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). In conclusion, BAs and bitter FAAs may be the major contributors to the bitterness of BH, and the high content of BAs in the BH group may promote lipid catabolism, inhibit β-carotene absorption and enhance amino acid metabolism, leading to the hepatopancreas brown and bitter.

Keywords: Bile acids; Bitterness; Docosahexaenoic acid (PubChem CID: 445580); Eicosapentaenoic acid (PubChem CID: 446284); Eriocheir sinensis; Fatty acid; Free amino acids; Hepatopancreas; Histidine (PubChem CID: 6274); Methionine (PubChem CID: 6137); Off-season marketed crab in lunar June; Phenylalanine (PubChem CID: 6140); Taurochenodeoxycholic acid (PubChem CID: 387316); Taurocholic acid (PubChem CID: 6675); Valine (PubChem CID: 6287); lutein (PubChem CID: 5281243); β-carotene; β-carotene (PubChem CID: 440086667).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Fatty Acids* / analysis
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / analysis
Hepatopancreas* / chemistry
Hepatopancreas* / metabolism
Metabolomics
Seafood / analysis

Substances

Fatty Acids
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated