| Abstrakt: |
The present study was designed to investigate the proximate (moisture, dry matter, ash, and fat content) composition and metallic element contents (Ca, Zn, Fe, and Cd) in an edible Bivalve, Donax trunculus from the gulf of Annaba, and to evaluate the effect of cadmium (Cd) on these parameters. The clams were collected from the El-Battah site during the morphologically ripe and reared stages under laboratory conditions. Physicochemical parameters of seawater samples including temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were determined. Cadmium at two sub-lethal concentrations (LC10 and LC25-96h as determined previously) was added to the rearing water. The results revealed significant effects of Cd concentrations, exposure time, and sex on all the studied parameters. Indeed, the contents of dry matter, fat and metallic elements, excluding Cd were significantly decreased, while the moisture, ash, and Cd contents were significantly increased in both sexes at two sub-lethal concentrations. Moreover, the measurement of proximate composition and minerals contents in D. trunculus could be a very useful approach to evaluate the nutritive value changes in case of exposure to cadmium contamination, and subsequently to avoid health-associated problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
