Chemical constituents in the abdominal muscle of cultured mud crab Scylla serrata in relation to seasonal variation and maturation

Seasonal changes in levels of chemical constituents in the abdominal muscle of male and female mud crab Scylla serrata were investigated. The gonadosomatic index in the female crab was higher in October and August, of which the muscle yield, glycogen, and total amount of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-related compounds (ARC) in the October sample were the highest throughout the year, but the total amount of free amino acids (FAA) was the lowest. The total FAA and individual FAA such as glycine, alanine, and arginine increased in the August and November female samples, while that in the male specimens was higher in January, March, and August. The total ARC in both crabs was lower in the samples collected from winter than in other seasons whereas glycinebetaine was higher in winter and early spring. Glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, arginine, glycinebetaine, and adenosine monophosphate might be responsible for the taste of mud crab. Their level together was relatively higher in the August and January male samples, and in the August and November female specimens. However, the correlation between the taste component content and degree of gonad maturation was low.