title: Seasonal variations of fatty acid compositions in various Korean shellfish.
abstract: Seasonal variations of fatty acids in various Korean shellfish were investigated in relation to the changes in total fatty acids contents, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (P/S), and that of n-3 fatty acids to n-6 fatty acids (n-3/n-6). A distinct seasonal pattern was found in total fatty acids contents with maximal values in early summer and minimal values in late summer. The percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids was lowest in most species throughout the year. In summer months, the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased while that of saturated fatty acids increased. The major contributing factor to the seasonal variation of polyunsaturated fatty acids was n-3 fatty acids. These results led to the lowest levels of P/S and n-3/n-6 in summer. Nevertheless, the data suggest that bivalve shellfish would be excellent sources of n-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (Oceanography), Seoul National University, San 56-1 Shillim-dong, Kwanak-gu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeonghee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Surh
authors.forename: Jong-Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Hoonjeong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D012621:Seasons; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated