title: Potential use of fatty acid profiles of the adductor muscle of cockles (Cerastoderma edule) for traceability of collection site.
abstract: Geographic traceability of seafood is key for controlling its quality and safeguarding consumers' interest. The present study assessed if the fatty acid (FA) profile of the adductor muscle (AM) of fresh cockles (Cerastoderma edule) can be used to discriminate the origin of specimens collected in different bivalve capture/production areas legally defined within a coastal lagoon. Results suggest that this biochemical approach holds the potential to trace sampling locations with a spatial resolution <10 Km, even for areas with identical classification for bivalve production. Cockles further away from the inlet, i.e. in areas exposed to a higher saline variation, exhibited lower levels of saturated fatty acids, which are key for stabilizing the bilayer structure of cell membranes, and a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which enhance bilayer fluidity. Results suggest that the structural nature of the lipids present in the AM provides a stable fatty acid signature and holds potential for tracing the origin of bivalves to their capture/production areas.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia &CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricardo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia &CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana S P
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia &CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Felisa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Coimbra
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosário Domingues
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia &CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costa Leal
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia &CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049873:Cardiidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005843:Geography; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011174:Portugal
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids