Effects of Culinary Methods on Nutritional Characteristics of the Edible Shellfish Noah's Ark (Arca noae L., 1758) from Tunisian Coasts

Bivalves are known for their high nutritional value and are considered a healthy food for human consumption. The effect of different cooking methods (steaming, boiling, grilling, and frying) on proximate and fatty acid composition of Arca noae (Bivalvia: Linnaeus 1758) were determined. The comparison of raw and cooked Ark shell showed that the cooking had considerable effects on the nutritional quality of this species. Significant changes in moisture (%), protein (mg/g of flesh), total lipid (mg/g of flesh), and fatty acid composition (mg/g dry weight) were observed after cooking as compared to fresh Ark shell (p<0.05). However, the analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA) and peroxide value (PV) showed that all cooking treatments led to lipid oxidation. Steaming, boiling, and grilling were found to be a suitable and healthier cooking processes for A. noae, since they conserve the amount of n-3 PUFA better as compared to frying.