1H NMR metabolic profiling revealed characteristic metabolites in mud crab Scylla paramamosain for different geographical origins

The geographical origin of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) has been arousing increasing interest to consumers due to their flavour and market price. In this study, an NMR-based metabolomics method was used to characterize the differences in the chemical composition of muscle samples of mud crabs caught in four different geographical areas of China. The results showed that a statistically significant separation existed between each of the groups of mud crabs in terms of their geographical origins. The major metabolites responsible for differentiation included inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), and some amino acids. A gradual increase in the AMP level in conjunction with a declining IMP level was closely associated with the growth latitude of the mud crab, which means that these metabolites could potentially be used to characterize the specific geographic origin of mud crabs. This information might be useful for assessing the quality of mud crabs from different geographical origins.