Nutritional Composition of Edible Oysters (Crassostrea madrasensis L.) from the Southwest Coast of India

Nutritional composition of edible oysters (Crassostrea madrasensis) from the wild and cultured growth habitats from the southwest coast of India were evaluated over 4 years (2008–2011) during the premonsoon season. The important nutritional qualities of this species have been correlated with chlorophyll- a concentration, sea surface temperature, and phytoplankton density in their growth environments. The higher proportions of total polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids in the edible oysters collected from the wild habitats were significantly correlated with chlorophylla concentration revealing the role of the phytoplanktons to contribute to the occurrence of these vital fatty acids. The ideal atherogenic index (AI); thrombogenicity index (TI); hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH); and balanced quantities of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and low cholesterol contents qualified C. madrasensis as a potential health food