Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Composition of Three Strains of Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

Chinese soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) have been consumed as food and as a medicinal tonic in several countries. The amino acid and fatty acid profiles of muscle and calipash of Huaihe River, Yellow River, and Japanese strains of Chinese soft-shelled turtles were analyzed and compared. Calipash had higher concentrations of flavor amino acids than muscle. Muscle tissue of the Huaihe River strain had the highest concentration of pharmacodynamic amino acids and the highest concentration (P < 0.05) of arachidonic acid (females: 109.83 mg/ 100g, males: 110.72 mg/100 g). Concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic were higher in male muscle than in female muscle. Opposite results were obtained with calipash. The n-3-to-n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios were within the recommended range in all three strains. Chinese soft-shelled turtle is a healthy food source to humans.