Marine invertebrates consisting of 9 species of mollusks, 7 of crustaceans and 3 of echinoderms, were analyzed for ATP-related compounds, homarine, and trigonelline during ice storage. The determination was carried out by a newly improved HPLC system which made it possible to separate and micro-quantify the 9 authentic ATP-related compounds. The results showed that besides adenine nucleotides, IMP was detected at the range of 0.1 to 5.5μmol/g in the muscles of all species of mollusks and crustaceans examined, and AdR in only both of the muscle of the oyster Crassostrea gigas and the viscera of the echinoderm Anthocidaris crassispina.
In general, crustaceans accumulated the higher level of IMP than AMP and mollusks did the opposite one during ice-storage. There was no common feature among species of these invertebrates in change in content of IMP during ice-storage.
Two UV-absorbing betaines, homarine and trigonelline could be determined by this HPLC system together with ATP-related compounds. Concentrations of homarine and trigonelline in the muscles of invertebrates examined, ranged from 0.66 to 20.00μmol/g and from 0 to 1.50μmol/g, respectively. There were no apparent changes in content of both betaines during storage in ice up to 10 days.