Research Journal of Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences ___________________________ ISSN 2320 – 6535 Vol. 1(5), 5-9, June (2013) Res. J. Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sci. International Science Congress Association 5 Preliminary studies on Water and Protein distribution pattern in Paratelphusa masoniana (Henderson) (female), a local Freshwater Crab from Jammu region of J&K state, India Manhas P., Langer S. and Singh G.DDepartment of Zoology, University of Jammu, Jammu (J&K), INDIAPharmacology Division, Indian institute of integrative medicine (CSIR), Jammu, INDIAAvailable online at: www.isca.in Received 18th April 2013, revised 19th May 2013, accepted 22nd June 2013Abstract In the present study, proteinpercentage and water content in the body meat, claw meat and trash of Paratelphusa masoniana (Henderson), a freshwater crab inhabiting some streams of Jammu region of J&K, were analysed as the local communities are eating it without having any knowledge of its nutritional status. Total protein percentage was maximum in body meat followed by claw meat and trash being 62.16±0.30%, 57.39±0.35% and 29.05±0.66% respectively. Estimations on monthly basis revealed the protein values to be maximum during non-spawning period. The lowest water content in the body meat (78.13±1.45%), claw meat (77.73±1.44%) and trash (56.75±1.12%) were also recorded during non spawning periods. The protein content recorded an inverse relation to water content in all the three body tissues. The aim of the present study was thus to evaluate the protein and water content in different tissues of P. masoniana and relating them to seasonal variation in addition to its health benefits to the consumers as it is a rich source of protein. Keywords: Body meat, claw meat moisture, Paratelphusa, protein and trash.IntroductionA crab is characterised by a flattened, broad body covered by a shell or carapace. Crabs belong to the order: Decapoda, class: Crustacea, phylum: Arthropoda. True crabs are the most successful decapods with about 4500 species. Crabs are found throughout the world, chiefly in marine waters, but they also inhabit fresh water and land, where they dig or inhabit burrows. Freshwater crabs (Potamidae, Potamonautidae, Gecarcinucidae, Parathelphusidae, Pseudothelphusidae, Trichodactylidae) are a group of more than 1,280 species that comprise the largest group within the brachyurans according to the recent assessment. The importance of crabs as a source of protein rich food for the growing population of India especially in the coastal sector, and also as an excellent raw for seafood products for export purpose is increasingly recognized in the country in the recent years. In our state, the limited utilization of shellfishes (crab) is particularly due to conservative food habits and lack of knowledge about the nutritive value of crabs. Knowledge of the biochemistry and metabolism of the processes that occur during maturation are essential for a complete understanding of crustacean reproduction. Protein is essential for the sustenance of life and accordingly exists in the largest quantity of all the nutrients as a component of the human body. An increasing demand for good quality animal protein for the exploding population has led to an effective and combating increasing exploitation of the aquatic resources. The acceptability and easy digestibility of fin and shellfish proteins make it very valuable in meeting protein malnutrition, especially in children. The protein of fish (fin and shellfish) has a high biological value with its growth promoting capacity. Keeping in view the essential role of proteins, an attempt has been made to study the variation in the quantity of protein and moisture content in different body tissues of P. masoniana. The data thus generated, may lead to the better understanding of the relative importance of the protein and moisture content during reproductive cycle and during different seasons of a year. Material and MethodsCrabs were collected from their natural habitat (Gho-Manhasan stream), at a distance of about 12 kms from University of Jammu, (32\r67 Lat N; 74\r 79 Long E) and were immediately dissected for body meat, claw meat and trash. During the present course of study, only adult female crabs (of carapace width 5-6cm) were selected and the juveniles were again released into their natural habitat. The analysis was performed for a period of one year (July 2010 - June 2011). The organic constituents of each component were determined by standard methods such as total proteins, moisture. The results were expressed on dry weight basis. The data was analyzed to test the level of significance with the help of Microsoft Excel 2003 and SPSS (12.0 Version, Chicago, USA). The level of significance was tested by one way ANOVA, Duncan Post Multiple comparison. Research Journal of Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences ________________________________________ ISSN 2320 – 6535 Vol. 1(5), 5-9, June (2013) Res. J. Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sci. International Science Congress Association 6 Results and Discussion The seasonal variation in the moisture and protein content in female crabs has been shown in table 1. Protein: The annual average protein content in the body meat of P. masoniana throughout the year was 54.38±4.08% with minimum (46.05±0.82%) and maximum (62.15±0.30%) values being recorded in the months of December and March respectively. In claw meat as well, minimum (46.0±0.64%) and maximum (57.39±0.54%) values were recorded in the months of December and March respectively with annual average being 51.97±3.62%. In trash, minimum (19.54±0.50%) and maximum (29.05±0.66%) values were however recorded in the months of November and April respectively with annual average being 25.78±3.04%. Moisture: In the body meat, minimum (78.13±1.45%) and maximum (84.23±1.60%) values were recorded in the months of March and July respectively with annual average being 80.98±1.79 %. In the claw meat, minimum (77.73 ±1.44%) and maximum (83.58±1.55%) values were also recorded in the months of March and July respectively with annual average being 79.66±1.58%. In trash however, minimum (76.78±1.84%) and maximum (80.18 ±1.69%) values were however recorded in the months of April and August respectively with annual average being 63.28±3.57%. From the study of the seasonal variation in the protein and moisture content of P. masoniana, it appears that there are two distinct periods of variation i.e: i. From July to August (Monsoon) i.e. Ist spawning period and December to January (Winter) i.e. IInd spawning period when the gonads are in advance stage of maturity and there is mobilization of protein from muscle to the gonads for their development. ii. From August to October (Post-monsoon) and February to April (Spring) which correspond to the Ist and IInd Non- spawning period. During this period, P. masoniana is nutritionally more rich as protein in the muscle is high. Thus, these two periods are characterized by the variation in the chemical composition.Biochemical composition of majority of organisms are known to vary with season, size, sex, stages of maturity and availability of food, temperature etc. Protein in crabs were found to be influenced by the extent of water content apart from other parameters like fats. The protein content in all the body tissues i.e., body meat, claw meat, and trash of female crabs remain characteristically low during winter (December and January) and monsoon (July and August) which coincides with their spawning season (i.e., May to July and December to February) when the gonads are in advanced stage of maturity. A decrease in the protein content during winters and monsoon may consequently arise due to: spawning function, reduced feeding intensity, enhanced catabolic process, reduction in the reserve food content and large scale transfer of proteins from muscles to ovaries. It has also recorded that during both wintering and spawning periods, food intake is significantly reduced and fish must rely, in part, on stored energy resources to survive both events8. There is however, an increase in the protein content during spring (February to April) and post monsoon (August to October) which coincides with their non-spawning period. High levels of protein during post monsoon (54.29%, 55.85%) and spring season (62.16%, 60.50%) can be attributed to planktonic abundance on one hand and deposition of proteins to meet the protein requirement of next breeding season on other hand. Planktonic bloom andmaxima of zooplankton in Jan–March has also been observed. Our observations also get strengthened by the previous recordings made in the same stream where benthic species like (chironomous larvae sps., Tubifex sps., Chaetogaster and Tipula sps.) were abundant during summers and monsoon while dipteran population exhibited a decline in monsoon10-12. Maximum algal content also has recorded in March (19.065%) i.e., spring13. Therefore, high protein content in muscles may be attributed to readily and abundant food supply as one of the factor. The variation in the protein is therefore influenced by feeding and breeding capabilities. The protein cycle thus appears to have a strong correlation with feeding and spawning. It has also been recorded that the protein maxima and minima correspond to the development/spawning and biological regression/resting phases, respectively14. The protein content ranged from 46.05% to 64.5% (dry wt.) in the muscles of P.masoniana which is at par with other crustaceans viz. 70.09 to 75.46% in Squilla15; 65.25% in M. dobsoni16; 44.62 to 80.87% in P. indicus17; 58.17% to 64.15% in M. malcolmsonii. A comparative status of the species under investigation with other marine decapods is presented in table- 2. Our results are in accordance with the findings of other workers 18, 19, 20 who have reported that protein content in Portunus pelagicus Linnaeus, Charybdis smithi and Scylla tranquebarica lies in the range of 54 to 75%, 59.8 to 71.1% and 65.48 to 72.24% respectively. When compared with males, females had lower annual average protein content being 59.52±2.31% and 54.38±4.08% respectively and this is probably due to the fact that in females, muscle protein gets mobilized for the gonadal development. The same trend was observed in shrimp, Penaeus merguiensisand in fresh water prawn, M. idea21 and in Palamonid prawn, M. idella idella. Further, among females, non- berried females showed higher values than berried females. This is mainly due to the intake of protein for the development of eggs in berried females. Similar trend has been shown in non-berried females who have higher values than berried females. Research Journal of Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences ________________________________________ ISSN 2320 – 6535 Vol. 1(5), 5-9, June (2013) Res. J. Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sci. International Science Congress Association 7 Table-1 Showing seasonal variation in the protein and moisture content of P. masoniana (female) Month Body meat Claw meat Trash Moisture Protein Moisture Protein Moisture Protein July 84.23±1.60a 48.51±0.12g 83.58±1.55a 47.95±0.56h 68.53±1.22a 28.17±0.35b August 81.30±1.53bcd 50.98±0.71f 80.80±1.54b 49.50±0.51fg 56.75±1.12d 22.39±0.28f September 81.90±1.61abc 54.29±0.32 79.20±1.19bcd 50.50±0.23e 58.70±1.27cd 24.55±0.46e October 81.29±1.57bcd 55.85±0.48 78.78±1.39bcd 53.91±0.57d 59.43±1.10c 21.71±0.50f November 81.76±1.48abcd 53.98±0.47 79.56±1.46bcd 50.22±0.62ef 60.00±1.15c 19.54±0.50g December 82.56±1.40ab 46.05±0.82 80.30±1.52bcd 46.64±0.64i 66.00±1.28b 27.91±0.64b January 82.20±1.65abc 54.75±0.47 80.69±1.45bc 50.93±0.44e 65.19±1.30b 26.58±0.47 February 79.61±1.55cdef 56.03±0.24 78.08±1.36cd 54.35±0.27cd 65.23±1.19b 25.63±0.38d March 78.13±1.45f 62.16±0.30 77.73±1.44d 57.39±0.35a 65.15±1.23b 28.98±0.19a April 78.53±1.40ef 60.50±0.50 78.35±1.50bcd 56.01±0.75b 64.03±1.29b 29.05±0.66a May 79.28±1.61def 57.54±0.42 79.04±1.37bcd 54.95±0.61c 64.17±1.21b 27.91±0.52b June 80.98±1.57bcde 50.77±0.41 79.76±1.54bcd 49.07±0.89g 65.23±1.19b 26.98±0.56c Annual Average 80.98±1.79 54.38±4.08 79.66±1.58 51.97±3.62 63.28±3.57 25.78±3.04 Table-2 Comparative account of Proximate biochemical composition of different decapod crustaceans (crabs) (on dry weight basis) Shell fishes Portunus pelagicus Charybdis smithi Scylla traquebarica Podopthalmus vigil Scylla serata Paratelphusa masoniana Authors Parameters Akbar et al.(1988) Balasubramanian and Suseelan (2001) Thirunavukkarasu (2005) Radhakrishnan and Natarajan (1979) Prasad and Neelakantan (1989) Present authors Protein 54-75% 59.8-71.1% 65.48-80.29% 15.75-20.16% 18.54-20.11% 54.38% Moisture 66.06% 85.5-89.6% 73.2.-81.8% 69.54-74.46% 77.7-78.76% 80.98% There is significant variation in the moisture content throughout the period of investigation. Comparatively high values of water content were recorded during July (monsoon) and December (winters) which may be due to the breeding period of the animal. High water content have also been recorded during breeding season22,23. It can be presumed that Paratelphusa masoniana developed gonads at this time of the year. High moisture content has been reported during spawning which decreased to lowest thereafter in wild abalone muscle24. Similar trend has been shown in Mugil cephalus where high values of moisture content could be due to decline in food intake during the monsoon months 25. It has been observed that the fluctuation of the water content is mainly affected by the reproductive cycle and it was also stated that after the spawning period, high amount of water content was noticed during monsoon months and it may be due to the low salinity prevailing in the habitat26. Similar trend has been reported in somatic tissues of Atlantic bonito wherein water content increased with gonadal maturation (Stage III, IV and V i.e. 72.77%, 76.63%, 77.40%) and decreased after spawning (Stage VI 73.90%) being about lowest in immature bonitos27 The values for moisture content so obtained in P. masoniana are well within the range reported for other species of finfishes and shellfishes viz., Tor putitora–77.98% and Labeo rohita–78.37%, Mystus seenghala - 75.52%, Channa punctatus–76.43%28 , Carcinus maenus–79.07% to 82.3+0.5% 29, S. tranquebarica–73.5 to 81.8% in body meat, 73.5 to 80.16% in claw meat, 73.23 to 79.6% in leg meat20 M.dayanum–79.14% and M.kistensis–80.84%30. The values noted for protein and moisture content were found to have significant differences among various months of the year showing gradual increasing and decreasing trends in the present study. It has been recorded that there is an increase in the moisture content which is accompanied by decrease in protein tissues. It has been observed that protein and moisture showed highly significant differences during different months of the year (figure-1). Protein and moisture content showed negative correlation (r=-0.84311). Research Journal of Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences ________________________________________ ISSN 2320 – 6535 Vol. 1(5), 5-9, June (2013) Res. J. Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sci. International Science Congress Association 8 Figure-1 Showing seasonal variation in the protein and moisture content of body meat, claw meat and trash of Paratelphusa masoniana (Henderson)(female) This inverse relation might be due to low temperature, low feeding rate, high energy demands to maintain body temperature and to cope up with food scarcity during winter. Similar results were earlier propounded by many authors31-38. 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