Influence of seasonality on the lipid profile of aquaculture oysters from the Sado and Mira rivers

Abstract

Oyster culture arose from the need to meet the growing demand for oysters. lhe production of oysters in aquaculture on the Sado and Mira rivers is developed according to traditional and artisanal techniques used for a long time. lhe way in which oysters are handled during the production process strongly influences the final quality of the oysters. ln the rylira river, the Portuguese oyster (Crassostrea angulata) is produced, being this one also produced in t[e Sado tiver joint with the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). lhe oysters’ composition may vary according to the species, sexual maturation degree, production location, food availability, season, and water temperature. According to the literature, 1 it was found that C. gigas and Crassostrea rhizophorae, cultivated in Florianópolis and produced in the spring, had a higher amount of lipids than those produced in the summer, whereas the C. gigas oysters had a higher lipid content. In C. gigas oysters, the content of EPA and DHA corresponds to 20% of the total fatty acids, 2 which presented high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and low concentration of total saturated fatty acids, being mostly palmitic and oleic acids.