Characteristics of lipid and fatty acid of marine gastropod Turbo cornutus: high levels of arachidonic and n-3 docosapentaenoic acid.

Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine were major components in the foot lipids of the turban shell Turbo cornutus, while triacylglycerol was the major one in its viscera, which demonstrate the high level of lipid in all specimens. The major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the major lipid classes of T. cornutus were 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid; ARA), 20:5n-3 (ecosapentaenoic acid; EPA), 22:4n-6, and 22:5n-3 (docosapentaenoic acid; n-3 DPA), with very low levels of 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid; DHA). The unusual high levels of ARA, 22:4n-6, and n-3 DPA found in both the triacylglycerols and phospholipids of all specimens suggest the influence of dietary algae on its tissue lipids. In the polar lipids, the total PUFA content was consistently high, with n-6 PUFA compensating for the fluctuation in the total n-3 PUFA levels. T. cornutus concentrated high levels of ARA in the visceral lipids from the dietary algae whose lipid content were very low. The viscera may effectively serve as a source of ARA for infant formulas. High levels of ARA, EPA, and n-3 DPA in the phospholipids of T. cornutus were observed. T. cornutus is a healthful marine food containing high levels of n-3 DPA.