Micronutrientes metálicos nos moluscos bivalves Crassostrea rhizophorae e Mytella guyanensis

Abstract

Micronutrients, micro or oligo elements, include vitamins and some metals, being that a significant portion of the world population is nutritionally deficient in these elements. This study evaluated the levels of metallic micronutrients in Crassostrea rhizophorae (oyster) and Mytella guyanensis (mangrove mussel) collected in southern Bahia, Brazil, in a stretch of 280 km long. The metal contents (Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) of the edible part of the species were evaluated with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Mean concentrations in mg kg^-1 found for C. rhizophorae and M. guyanensis, respectively, were: Cu (2.09 ± 0.90 and 2.31 ± 0.63); Fe (32.03 ± 4.18 and 213.36 ± 51.67); Mn (1.75 ± 0.44 and 13.61 ± 2.83) and Zn (129.54 ± 25.88 and 12.13 ± 1.13). Both bivalves were relevant in the concentration of micronutrients investigated, with emphasis on the high values of Zn in C. rhizophorae and Fe in M. guyanensis.