Abstract: The total fluorine content and its forms in the whole body, head, shell and meat of Antarctic krill were analyzed using ultrasonic-assisted sequential extraction. The results showed that the total fluorine content in different body parts of shrimps was?in?the following order: shell > head > whole body > meat. For all the body parts, residual fluorine was the most abundant, followed by the exchangeable state; the contents of oxidized and organic fluorine were relatively low, and the content of water soluble fluorine was very low. Thus it was evident that fluorine in Antarctic krill mostly existed in the exchangeable and residual form. Correlation analysis showed a significantly positive correlation between water soluble fluorine and exchangeable fluorine (r = 0.495**). Fluorine in the oxidized state was significantly and negatively correlated with residual fluoride (r = ?0.254*). Organic fluorine and residual fluorine were positively correlated (r = 0.312*). There was also a significantly positive correlation of water soluble fluorine with pH (r = 0.737**) and moisture content (r = 0.292*). Organic fluorine and protein content showed a significantly positive correlation (r = 0.324*). Residual fluoride and protein content were negatively correlated (r = ?0.366*). This study can provide a scientific basis for understanding different forms of fluoride in different parts of Antarctic krill, and also provide a theoretical basis for the defluorination of Antarctic krill.

Key words: Antarctic krill, fluorine species, correlation analysis