THIAMIN, RIBOFLAVIN, AND NIACIN CONTENT AND STABILITY IN PACIFIC COAST SEAFOODS

The thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin contents of 15 species of Pacific Coast seafoods were determined to evaluatetheir role in the human diet. Raw white flesh finfish (ten species) were found to contain 0.05 ± 0.03 mg of thiamin/100 g, 0.06 ± 0.03 mg of riboflavin/100 g, and 2.42 ± 0.76 mg of niacin/100 g. Chinook salmon and albacore tuna had comparable thiamin and riboflavin levels but with significantly higher niacin levels per 100 g: 8.42 ± 0.94 mg and 15.75 ± 1.15 mg, respectively. The vitamins in raw Pacific shrimp and Dungeness crab were slightly lower than in white flesh finfish. Moreover, these levels were generally reduced in half during commercial processing and canning. Oysters and geoducks were found to have the highest riboflavin levels of any seafoods containing 0.23 ± 0.03 mg/100 g and 0.29 ± 0.07 mg/100 g, respectively. Niacin levels in geoducks and oysters were equivalent to those observed in white finfish, and this was also true for the thiamin level in oysters. The extremely low amount of thiamin found in geoducks (0.01 mg/100 g) suggested the presence of a thiaminase. No significant loss (P < 0.05) was detected in any of the three vitamins of seafoods held in frozen storage (0 °C) for 6 months. Also, no correlation was apparent between any of the three vitamin levels and the size and/or proximate composition of fish. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.