Nutrient composition of the marine XXXX (Hexaplex trunculus) from the Tunisian Mediterranean coasts.

@entity1 @entity5204 @entity844 @entity1522 @entity4245 @entity535 @entity1474 @entity10194 @entity14391 @entity1718 @entity2574
BACKGROUND: Marine @entity4245 (Hexaplex trunculus) presents increasing nutritional, commercial and economical importance, being widely consumed in northern Africa, particularly in Mediterranean countries. From a nutritional point of view there is still limited information on the chemical composition of edible tissues (meat and hepatopancreas) of this species. Therefore, the aims of the present work were to study the proximate chemical composition, @entity844 and @entity535 profiles of H. trunculus from the Tunisian Mediterranean coasts. RESULTS: @entity844 profiles showed that the @entity1474 ( @entity5204 ) content is higher than the @entity1718 ( @entity10194 ). The yields of @entity5204 and @entity10194 present in the meat fat were 68.2% and 33.4% of the total @entity1718 , respectively. Similar values were obtained in the @entity14391 . @entity4245 tissues contain valuable concentrations of @entity5204 , especially n-6 and n-3 with chain lengths of 20 and 22 carbons. All edible tissues were valuable sources of essential @entity1522 . @entity2574 is the major @entity1522 present in the meat and hepatopancreas. The concentrations of nutrients were also determined in the hepatopancreas and meat of H. trunculus. Significantly high concentrations of minerals and trace elements were found in these tissues. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that H. trunculus is an important source of protein and essential @entity1522 . Furthermore, the @entity4245 lipidic fraction contains high proportions of @entity1474 benefical for @entity1 health.
