International Journal of Food Science and Technology 2006, 41, 1023–1026 1023

Original article
Proximate composition and mineral contents of the blue crab
(Callinectes sapidus) breast meat, claw meat and hepatopancreas

Aygül Küçükgülmez, Mehmet Çelik*, Yasemen Yanar, Beyza Ersoy & Mustafa Çikrikçi
Department of Fishing and Fish Processing Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
(Received 29 January 2005; Accepted 2 December 2005)

Summary The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional composition of the breast, claw meat and
hepatopancreas of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Samples were subjected to proximate (protein, fat, ash
and moisture) and calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium (Ca, Mg, P, K and Na)
analyses. Protein, fat, ash and moisture of the breast, claw meat and hepatopancreas of the blue crab
averaged 19.05, 0.59, 2.10 and 76.85 g/100 g, respectively. The results have revealed that this species is a rich
source of protein, Ca, Mg, P and Na. Claw meat had higher protein concentrations (19.55 g/100 g) than both
breast meat and hepatopancreas (18.81 g/100 g). Na was predominant element among minerals analysed.
There were significant differences between Ca, Mg, P, K and Na contents of claw, breast meat and
hepatopancreas of the blue crab. Information on the nutrient composition is needed to facilitate the
processing, utilisation and marketing of blue crab products. Blue crab could balance human nutrition and
could be used as an alternative dietary supplement of proteins and mineral matter.
Keywords Biochemical composition, breast-claw meat, calcium, crabs, magnesium, Mediterranean, phosphour.

Vigh & Dendinger, 1982; Anthony et al., 1983; Sheets &

Introduction
Utilisation of marine resources for human consumption
has increased rapidly worldwide. As a whole, seafood
products, including crustacean shellfish, have been
lauded for their health promoting characteristics. Shell-
fish are nutritionally valuable sources of various miner-
als and high quality protein (Leu et al., 1981; Connor &
Lin, 1982; King et al., 1990; Skonberg & Perkins, 2002;
USDA, 2003).
Blue crab is one of the most important of shellfish.
The main distribution of blue crab is on the North
American coast. At the beginning of this century, it was
in the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea and surrounding
waters, in which most of the species have been,
recognised (Holthuis, 1961).
The blue crabs which have commercial value and are
distributed abundantly in the north-eastern Mediterra-
nean are processed at processing factories in the local
region. These processed products are exported to
European countries (Türeli et al., 2002).
Nutritive values of different crab species have been
previously investigated in various parts of the world
(Krzeczkowski & Stone, 1974; Krzynowek et al., 1982;
*Correspondent: Fax: +90 322 3386439;
e-mail: mcelik@cu.edu.tr
James, 1983; Tsai et al., 1984; Siddiquie et al., 1987;
King et al., 1990; Gates & Parker, 1992; Lee et al., 1993;
Perry et al., 2001; Skonberg & Perkins, 2002; Türeli
et al., 2002). Very limited data are available on the
biochemical composition of crab in Turkey (Türeli
et al., 2000, 2002; Gökoğlu & Yerlikaya, 2003; Çelik
et al., 2004).
The potential health benefits related to blue crab
consumption are because of the presence of proteins,
vitamins and unsaturated essential fatty acids. Blue crab
is also good source of various minerals. Therefore, it is so
important human health. From these minerals, Ca and P
are necessary to maintain an optimal bone development,
more of both minerals being required during childhood
and growing stages to prevent rickets and osteomalacia
(Valverde et al., 2000). It is known that several aberra-
tions in bone mineral homeostasis and bone metabolism
result as a consequence of severe Mg deficiency in
experimental rats. These include reduced bone growth
and bone volume (Carpenter et al., 1992).
Ca also has an essential role in blood clotting, muscle
contraction and nerve transmission. P is also important
to maintain the pH, storage and transfer of energy
and nucleotide synthesis. Mg is cofactor for enzyme
systems (Food and Nutrition Board, National Research
Council, 1989).

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01159.x
Ó 2006 Institute of Food Science and Technology Trust Fund
1024 Proximate composition and mineral contents of the blue crab A. Küçükgülmez et al.
Fundamental knowledge of nutrient composition is
needed to facilitate the processing, utilisation and
marketing of the blue crab for human consumption.
The purpose of this study was to determine the
proximate composition and the mineral content of
the blue crab commonly caught from north-eastern
Mediterranean.
Materials and methods
Materials
Adult crabs, Callinectes sapidus, were harvested from
Akyazan lagoon on the coast of the eastern Mediterra-
nean Sea of Turkey, in December 2002, and transported
live to the laboratory. Crabs were cooked by steaming
for 10 min, and claw meat, breast meat and hepatopan-
creas were picked by hand. Three samples were prepared
by blending the meat from twenty crabs.
Proximate analysis
Samples were homogenised and subjected to moisture
and ash analyses using Association of Official Analytical
Chemists (AOAC 1995) methods. Crude protein content
was calculated by converting the nitrogen content,
determined by Kjeldahl’s method (AOAC, 1995). Fat
content was determined by the acid hydrolysis Soxhlet
system (B-811; BUCHI, Brussels, Belgium) in the
laboratory of Cukurova University Faculty of Fisheries,
Adana, Turkey.
Mineral analysis
Calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium content
were analysed with an AAS (AOAC, 1995). Phosphorus
was measured by spectrophotometer in Laboratory
TUBITAK M.A.M., Izmit, Turkey (AOAC, 1995).
Statistical analysis
The data were subjected to analyses of variance (one-
way anova) at the 5% level using SPSS 10.1 version
(SPSS, 1999) and Duncan’s multiple range test was
performed to separate differences among means.
Results and discussion
Proximate composition
The results of proximate analysis of the blue crab are
shown in Table 1. Protein, ash and moisture contents of
the claw, breast meat and hepatopancreas of the blue
crab averaged 19.05, 2.10 and 76.89 g/100 g, respect-
ively. These values are similar to those for Dungeness
crab (Cancer magister), reported as 17.8, 2.6 and
International Journal of Food Science and Technology 2006, 41, 1023–1026
Table 1 Proximate composition of blue crab meats and
hepatopancreas (g/100 g)a
Claw meat Breast meat Hepatopancreas
Protein 19.555 ± 0.07b 18.810 ± 0.13a 18.810 ± 0.09a
Fat 0.440 ± 0.00a 0.440 ± 0.00a 0.900 ± 0.00b
Ash 2.130 ± 0.00b 2.030 ± 0.00a 2.150 ± 0.00c
Moisture 78.020 ± 0.03b 79.050 ± 0.07c 73.605 ± 0.15a
Mean ± SD followed by different letter within a row are significantly
different (P < 0.05).
a
Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n ¼ 3).
77.6 g/100 g, for protein, ash and moisture, respectively
(King et al., 1990), and are somewhat higher in protein
than values reported for blue crab composite
(15.6 g/100 g) and claw mead (13.9 g/100 g) samples
(Lee et al., 1993). Skonberg & Perkins (2002), found
similar values in the green crab (Carcinus maenus)
according to the present study.
Protein content was the highest in the claw meat
(19.55 g/100 g) compared with the other parts (18.81 g/
100 g) of blue crab and did not differ significantly
between hepatopancreas and breast meat. Krzeczkowski
& Stone (1974), reported similar result (18 g/100 g) in
claw meat of snow crab (Chionoecetes bairdi).
Moisture value was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in
breast meat (79.05 g/100 g) than the other parts (73.60–
78.02 g/100 g). Siddiquie et al. (1987) found that mois-
ture content of body and claw meats in the Portunus
pelagicus is 78.15–79.05 g/100 g. Hepatopancreas sam-
ples had the highest content (2.15 g/100 g) of ash among
the three groups. Anthony et al. (1983) reported a
similar content in the raw blue crab (2.06 g/100 g) and
cooked blue crab (2.42 g/100 g).
The hepatopancreas (0.90 g/100 g) possessed consid-
erably higher fat content than the claw meat (0.44 g/
100 g) and breast meat (0.44 g/100 g). Krzynowek et al.
(1982) found average fat contents of 1.1, 1.2 and 0.9 g/
100 g for jonah (Cancer borealis), roch (Cancer irrora-
tus) and red crab (Geryon quinquedens) caught off in the
north-west Atlantic region. But it is not clear which
portions of the crab body were evaluated.
Mineral contents
The mineral contents of the blue crab are listed in
Table 2. Significant differences in mineral content were
observed between claw meat, breast meat and hepato-
pancreas samples. Na was the predominant element
among minerals analysed. Hepatopancreas samples had
significantly higher Na concentrations than the samples
of breast and claw meat. Ca, Mg, P, K and Na
concentrations in the blue crab meat and hepatopan-
creas averaged 432.53, 92.34, 180.94, 65.47 and
840.19 mg/100 g, respectively. Ca and P were the
Ó 2006 Institute of Food Science and Technology Trust Fund

Table 2 Mineral content of blue crab meats and hepatopancreas
(mg/100 g)a
Minerals Claw meat Breast meat
Ca 398.2 ± 4.10a 455.4 ± 2.75c
Mg 117.060 ± 0.08c 85.53 ± 0.04b
P 176.24 ± 0.33b 202.16 ± 0.23c
K 69.15 ± 0.04c 62.82 ± 0.07a
Na 663.95 ± 1.34a 723.63 ± 0,11b
Mean ± SD followed by different letter within a row are significantly
different (P < 0.05).
a
Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n ¼ 3).
highest in the breast meat. Mg and K were the most
concentrated in the claw meat.
The concentration of minerals in meat of crab species
can be influenced by a number of factors such as
seasonal and biological differences (species, size, age, sex
and sexual maturity), food source and environment
(water chemistry, salinity, temperature and contami-
nants). The differences in mineral contents of the crabs
used in our study and those reported in the literature are
thought to be due to the above mentioned reasons
(Anthony et al., 1983; King et al., 1990; Lee et al., 1993;
Skonberg & Perkins, 2002; Gökoğlu & Yerlikaya, 2003;
USDA, 2003).
In the present study, high Ca (398.2–455.4 mg/100 g)
and Na (663.9–1133.0 mg/100 g) values were observed
in parts of the blue crab. Callinectes sapidus is a
euryhaline organism and can, therefore, function in a
wide range of salinities, as their migratory and repro-
ductive habits indicate. They are also efficient osmoreg-
ulators, and maintain their internal environment within
narrow realms over a wide range of salinities.
The blue crabs in low salinity seawater seem to
overcompensate for this lower external salinity by
maintaining a greater quantity of Ca in their haemo-
lymph than would normally be expected if they simply
osmoregulated postmoult to their normal condition
(Sheets & James, 1983). Crabs used in this study were
caught in Akyazan lagoon where salinity decreases
considerably (about 11%) in some seasons of the year.
Ca and Na were deposited in the meats and hepato-
pancreas of the blue crab, because the samples used here
were adult crabs. Vigh & Dendinger (1982) reported that
there was a decrease in Ca concentrations from 0 to
3 days postmoult, probably because mineral was rapidly
deposited in cuticle, with a gradual return to normal
postmoult values, and Ca quickly returned to normal
values.
Conclusions
The results reported here demonstrated that breast, claw
meat and hepatopancreas of blue crab were rich in terms
Ó 2006 Institute of Food Science and Technology Trust Fund
Proximate composition and mineral contents of the blue crab A. Küçükgülmez et al. 1025
of protein, major and essential elements. Ca, Na, Mg
and P are plentiful when compared the recommended
daily allowances in the Food and Nutrition Board
Hepatopancreas
National Council. It is possible to infer that the blue
444.0 ± 1.56b crab could be used in the balance of human nutrition
74.43 ± 0.18a and as a supplement of protein and mineral matter. It is
164.44 ± 2.04a also hoped that this study will be important for the local
64.46 ± 0.64b fishing industry in the north eastern Mediterranean
1133.00 ± 2.83c coasts.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Cukurova University
Research Fund.
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Ó 2006 Institute of Food Science and Technology Trust Fund