Abstract:

Apostichopus japonica spawn and sperm were identified through microscopic observation for nutrient
composition analysis. The contents of crude protein, crude fat, crude ash, crude polysaccharide, phospholipid and mineral
elements in vacuum frozen samples were determined along with the amino acid composition and fatty acid profile. The
results showed that both the spawn and sperm had high level of crude protein contents, accounting for 51.80 g/100 g and
74.31 g/100 g, respectively. The crude lipid content of the spawn (10.18 g/100 g) was significantly higher than that of the
sperm (4.26 g/100 g), and phospholipid content was 71.32 g/100 g and 52.35 g/100 g in the spawn and sperm, respectively.
The content of crude polysaccharide in the spawn and sperm were 26.98 g/100 g and 9.93 g/100 g, respectively. The contents
of Mg and Fe in the sperm were higher than in the spawn of Apostichopus japonica, while the contents of Ca and Zn in
the spawn were significantly higher than in the sperm. The total amino acids of the spawn and sperm were 354.6 mg/g and
550.89 mg/g, with essential amino acids accounting for 180.03 mg/g and 257.25 mg/g, respectively. As for fatty acids in the
spawn and sperm, the unsaturated fatty acid contents were 73.22 g/100 g and 62.61 g/100 g, respectively, among which EPA
accounted for 15.98 g/100 g and 15.27 g/100 g, respectively.

Key words: Apostichopus japonica, gonad, nutrient composition, amino acid, fatty acid