Nutritional composition of the branched murex Chicoreus ramosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Family: Muricidae)

Abstract

Chicoreus ramosus (Linnaeus, 1758), the branched murex, a species of marine gastropod mollusc collected off the Gulf of Mannar on the south-eastern coast of India was studied for the nutritional composition. The edible portion of C. ramosus demonstrated protein content with balanced ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids (~0.94). The C20-C22 n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, were predominant in the edible part (15.8 and 17.2% total fatty acids, respectively). Considerably lesser cholesterol content (28.7 mg 100 g-1), greater hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic index (6.3) and lesser atherogenic (0.2), thrombogenicity (0.1) indices showed its importance as a cardioprotective and antithrombogenic diet. The presence of antioxidative microelement selenium (30.44 μg 100 g-1) along with ascorbic acid and tocopherol (45.5 and 55.8 μg 100 g-1, respectively) demonstrated the value of this foodstuff to impart antioxidative defense in the metabolic system. A lesser sodium/potassium (Na/K) proportion (0.64) in C. ramosus could be coupled with a diminished threat of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The aggregate amount of calcium and phosphorus (136.1 mg 100 g-1) showed the beneficial effect of this species in facilitating the recruitment of osteoblasts and bone mineralisation process. The previously undescribed report with regard to nutritional composition of C. ramosus appropriately demonstrated this low-value gastropod species as a valuable depot of essential nutritional elements and as a health food for human consumption.