The Chilean scallop Argopecten purpuratus (Lamarck, 1819): I. fatty acid composition and lipid content of six organs

This paper describes the distribution of lipids and fatty acids in different organs of Argopecten purpuratus broodstock. The female gonad and the digestive gland showed the highest lipid content, moderate lipid levels were present in the gills and male gonad while the mantle and especially the adductor muscle exhibited the lowest lipid content. A principal component analysis of the fatty acids of the total lipids separated the organs in four major groups: gills and mantle (I), adductor and male gonad (II), female gonad (III) and digestive gland (IV). A special feature of the gills and mantle was the presence of high levels of plasmalogens recognized by the peaks for vinyl methyl ethers from dimethylacetal degradation accompanying peaks for methyl esters of fatty acids in the GC profiles, and an unidentified fatty acid (22?). The highest level of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly EPA and DHA) was found in the adductor. Similarities between the fatty acid composition of the triglyceride fraction of the female gonad and the digestive gland (e.g. the high level of 14:0 and 18:4n-3) indicated the transfer of lipids from the lipid-rich digestive gland to the female gonad. Trimethyltridecanoic acid (TMTD) was found nearly exclusively in the polar lipid fraction of the digestive gland.