Total lipid,fatty acid composition and lipid oxidation of Indian white shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus) fed diets containing different lipid sources

BACKGROUND: Seafood is an important constituent of the human diet. In Iran, Indian white shrimp (Fenneropenaeus indicus) is the major cultured shrimp species as a result of market demand, local availability and growth rate. It is mainly reared using commercial feed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing 50% of the fish oil by vegetable oils in shrimp feed on total lipid, fatty acid composition and lipid oxidation of shrimp muscle. RESULTS: No significant differences in total lipid content (6.1–7.3 g kg^?1) were found between edible tissues of shrimp fed different diets. The major fatty acids in shrimp muscle were palmitic, oleic, lionoleic, stearic, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Higher levels of EPA and DHA were observed in muscle of shrimp fed a diet containing fish oil. Oxidative rancidity, measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, for all shrimps did not exceed 0.2 mg malonaldehyde kg^?1 muscle tissue, which was low and acceptable. CONCLUSION: This study had shown that the fatty acid composition of feed directly affects the fatty acid composition of Indian white shrimp muscle. Farmed Indian white shrimp can be considered as a species of low fat and shrimp muscle was quite stable to oxidation during storage. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nutrient utilisation and performance of broilers in response to processed flaxseed dietary levels and vitamin B6 supplementation

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of processing and dietary inclusion level of flaxseed on broiler performance and nutrient utilisation. Flaxseed was included in the diet fed to day‐old broilers for the first 3 weeks as whole seed, ground seed, autoclaved whole seed, ground autoclaved whole seed or whole seed pelleted with the other ingredients, at levels of 0, 100, 120 and 140 g kg^?1. Chicks fed the pelleted flaxseed‐containing diets had heavier body weights, consumed more feed and had better feed/gain ratios than those fed the other flaxseed‐containing diets during the 3 weeks period (P < 0.01). The flaxseed level in the diet also had very significant (P < 0.01) effects on body weight and feed/gain ratio at the end of weeks 1 and 3, with the diets containing 100 g kg^?1 flaxseed resulting in better performance than the other flaxseed‐containing diets. Among the flaxseed containing diets, the pelleted diets led to higher apparent ether extract digestibilities, with values of 778 and 770 g kg^?1 for the diets containing 100 and 140 g kg^?1 flaxseed respectively. This better utilisation of ether extract by young broilers may explain the significantly (P < 0.05) higher AME_n (apparent metabolisable energy) value of 2924 kcal kg^?1 for the pelleted 140 g kg^?1 flaxseed‐containing diet. This was 15.4–17.5% higher than for the diets with the same level of flaxseed but provided as raw or autoclaved whole seed. The pelleting of flaxseed allowed an inclusion rate of 100 g kg^?1 without any reduction in the performance and nutrient utilisation of broilers. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Aflatoxin occurrence in milk and supplied concentrates of goat farms of north‐eastern Italy

BACKGROUND: There is little information about the occurrence of aflatoxin M₁ in goat milk. A survey involving 17 dairy goat farms of north‐eastern Italy was completed during 2005 and 2006, in order to evaluate the prevalence of milk contamination and its relationship with type and level of concentrate supplied. RESULTS: 132 concentrate and 85 milk samples were collected during five farm visits and analysed for aflatoxins. Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) was > 0.1 µg kg^?1 in two‐thirds of the feeds and > 5 µg kg^?1 in nine. Contamination was higher in maize than in other pure feeds (median: 0.8 versus 0.1 µg kg^?1); complementary feeds showed intermediate values. Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) was > 3 ng kg^?1 in one‐third of milks and > 25 ng kg^?1 in three. All the milk samples were below EU statutory limits. The farm ranks for milk AFM₁ level and the peak of concentrate AFB₁ contamination were significantly correlated (0.642). CONCLUSIONS: Risk to human health was generally found to be absent, with only a few cases involving feed contamination to be monitored. The main aflatoxin risk for goat milk could arise from maize and maize‐based concentrates in the more intensive breeding conditions. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of methionine addition in soya bean or casein diets supplemented with carrageenan on weight gain and blood lipids in rats

Seven groups of 12 Wistar rats were fed during two experimental periods. During the first period of 4 weeks, rats were fed diets containing 100 g kg^?1 of casein or soya-protein. In the case of casein, diets contained casein, casein + 3.5 g kg^?1 of sodium carrageenan and casein + 3.5 g kg^?1 of sodium carrageenan + 1 g kg^?1 of DL-methionine. In the case of soya protein, diets contained soya protein, soya protein + 6.2 g kg^?1 of sodium carrageenan, soya protein + 6.2 g kg^?1 of sodium carrageenan + 1 g kg^?1 of DL-methionine and soya protein + 1 g kg^?1 of DL-methionine. During the second period of 8 weeks, all rats were fed laboratory pellets containing 170 g kg^?1 of standard protein mixture. Methionine supplementation of heated soya bean meal containing carrageenan prevented the decrease of growth observed with unsupplemented diet. Methionine supplementation of casein improved protein efficiency ratio and had no effect on long-term growth of rats because carrageenan did not cause growth retardation. At the end of second period, carrageenan ingested during the first period had no effect on plasma cholesterol. When carrageenans added to casein were ingested during the first period, plasma triglycerides were significantly lower after the second period. It would seem that carrageenans induce protein malnutrition by a lack of methionine when they are present in low protein diets with low methionine content, and that a sufficient content of methionine in diets prevents the carrageenan effect.     

Furan in canned sardines and other fish

Thirty-seven different samples of canned sardines and other fish sold in the United Kingdom were analysed for their furan content using a validated automated headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry procedure. All 37 samples contained detectable furan, with an average level of 26 μg kg^?1. The maximum furan content was in canned fish containing tomato sauce, which had an average of 49 μg kg^?1 and in canned fish packed with lemon which had an average of 55 μg kg^?1. All fish in brine or in oil contained less than 20 μg kg^?1 furan. Furan levels recorded in fish packed in extra virgin olive oil were low with an average of 2 μg kg^?1.     

Effect of different sources of dietary omega‐3 fatty acids on general performance and fatty acid profiles of thigh,breast, liver and portal blood of broilers

One hundred and sixty‐eight 1‐day‐old Cobb broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 12 broiler cages to determine the dietary effect of different sources of oils rich in long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCω3PUFA). The following oils were added to the feed at a concentration of 12.5 g kg^?1: a highly refined seal blubber oil (SBO) containing 225 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA; a fish oil (FO) concentrate containing >800 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA in the form of triglycerides; and an FO concentrate containing >600 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA in the form of ethyl esters. Fatty acid profiles of the breast and thigh meat were measured in order to determine the deposition of LCω3PUFA into the body tissues, whilst fatty acid profiles of the liver and the portal blood were taken in order to deduce consequences of the different ester forms on the absorption process. A triangular sensory evaluation was performed on the breast meat. The levels of LCω3PUFA in all tissues and the portal blood reflected the concentrations of LCω3PUFA in the diets. The sensory properties of the breast meat were negatively influenced by ethyl ester supplementation only. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Screening of aflatoxins in duck feedstuffs in West Java,Indonesia

During the period 1979-1985, incoming feed ingredients (some of imported origin) for duck diets were screened for their aflatoxin level. As a result. records of aflatoxin data from 533 corn, 88 rice, 136 rice bran, 47 wheat pollard, 207 soya bean meal. 55 copra meal and 166 fish meal samples were obtained. Aflatoxin B ₁ was the predominant form, the incidence of samples containing it ranging from 69 to 94%; then accompanied by aflatoxin G₁, 37 to 81%: by B ₂, 33 to 70%; by G₂, 13 to 66%. Levels of total aflatoxin > 20 μg kg ^?1 were most frequently encountered in corn (71%) and copra meal (58%), followed by soya bean meal (20%), wheat pollard (15%), rice bran (12%), fish meal (10%) and rice (4%). Most feed ingredients contained aflatoxins < 100 μg kg^?1 except in corn of which 202 samples (38%) had a higher level. Corn is concluded to be the main source of alfatoxin contamination in corn-based mixed feeds.     

Aflatoxin and its metabolites in tissues from laying hens and broiler chickens fed a contaminated diet

Two groups of 32 hens and broiler chickens were contaminated with 2.5 and 5 mg of aflatoxin (AF) kg^?1 feed for a period of 32 days. During this contamination 16 birds were sacrificed and aflatoxin and its metabolites were detected using thin-layer chrotnatography and fluorescence densisometry. The tissues analysed (liver, muscle, kidney, gizzard and eggs) gave a wide range of concentrations, the lowest was found in ben muscle (0.05 μg kg^?1 of AFB₁) and the highest in gizzards from the 5 mg kg^?1 group of the hens (9.01 μg kg^?1 of AFB₁). Metabolites of AFB₁, AFM, and AFB_2a appeared in the liver but not in other tissues. In broiler's tissues, the following metabolities were isolated: AFM₁ and AFB_2a, in liver, aflatoxicol in muscle and AFM₁ and AFB_2a in kidneys, all having concentrations lower than AFB₁. Aflatoxicol was isolated from one egg sample (0.32 μg kg^?1). For both types of birds, aflatoxin clearance time was only 24 h for muscle and kidneys. In livers from the 5 mg kg^?1 group, AFM₁ and AFB_2a were still found 4 days after removal of the contaminated feed. In eggs and gizzards, aflatoxin residue was still detected on the 8th day of the clearance period although in low quantities. In the broiler's gizzards, clearance time was only 24 h. These results suggest that aflatoxin transfer to edible tissues is very small and the danger of contaminations to humans is also very small, except in the case of gizzards.     

A survey of styrene monomer levels in foods and plastic packaging by coupled mass spectrometry—automatic headspace gas chromatography

An extensive UK survey of styrene monomer levels in styrene based plastic packaging materials and their contained foods (133 samples) has been carried out, examining a wide range of retail foods of different brand names and including yogurts, creams, salads, coleslaws, soft cheeses, margarines, hot and cold beverages from dispensing machines, spreads, fresh and cooked meats, candied fruits, fresh strawberries, and take-away ‘fast’ foods. Analysis by headspace gas chromatography of styrene levels in the plastic containers showed levels of monomer ranging from 16 to 1300 mg kg^?1 although the majority of containers (73%) had styrene levels in the range 100–500 mg kg^?1 and only five plastic tubs had levels exceeding 1000 mg kg^?1. Analysis of the food contents of the plastic containers by automated headspace gas chromatography with single ion monitoring mass spectrometric detection showed levels of the monomer ranging from < 1 μg kg^?1 to 200 μg kg^?1, although the majority of foods (77%) had styrene levels below 10 μg kg^?1, and 26% of the total number analysed had levels below 1 μg kg^?1.     

Survey of aflatoxins in maize tortillas from Mexico City

In Mexico, maize tortillas are consumed on a daily basis, leading to possible aflatoxin exposure. In a survey of 396 2-kg samples, taken over four sampling days in 2006 and 2007 from tortilla shops and supermarkets in Mexico City, aflatoxin levels were quantified by HPLC. In Mexico, the regulatory limit is 12?µg?kg^?1 total aflatoxins for maize tortillas. In this survey, 17% of tortillas contained aflatoxins at levels of 3–385?µg?kg^?1 or values below the limit of quantification (<LOQ) and, of these, 13% were >12?µg?kg^?1 and 87% were below the regulatory limit. Average aflatoxin concentrations in 56 contaminated samples were: AFB₁ (12.1?µg?kg^?1); AFB₂ (2.7?µg?kg^?1); AFG₁ (64.1?µg?kg^?1) and AFG₂ (3.7?µg?kg^?1), and total AF (20.3?µg?kg^?1).     

Nutritional evaluation of transgenic high‐methionine lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L) with broiler chickens

The nutritive value of transgenic lupin seeds (Lupinus angustifolius L) with higher contents of methionine was evaluated with broiler chickens. The crude protein, methionine and cysteine contents in the conventional and transgenic lupins were 322 and 324, 2.0 and 4.5, and 3.6 and 3.7 g kg^?1 dry matter respectively. In the feeding trial, conventional and transgenic lupins with hulls were incorporated into a maize–soyabean meal diet at 250 g kg^?1 level and the diets were fed to female broiler chicks from 6 to 20 days of age. All diets were balanced to contain similar levels of apparent metabolisable energy (AME), lysine and sulphur‐containing amino acids. The levels of free methionine added to the maize–soyabean meal control, conventional lupin and transgenic lupin diets were 2.2, 2.8 and 2.2 g kg^?1 respectively. Weight gain and feed intake were not influenced by dietary treatments, but feed/gain tended to be higher (P = 0.09) in birds fed lupin diets compared with those fed the control diet. Feed/gain of birds fed the conventional lupin diet was higher (1.82 vs 1.74) than for those fed the transgenic lupin diet. These results showed that the supplemental methionine required in poultry diets containing 250 g kg^?1 lupin can be lowered by 0.6 g kg^?1 diet by the use of high‐methionine lupins. The AME values of conventional and transgenic lupins were determined to be 9.42 and 10.18 MJ kg^?1 dry matter respectively. The higher AME value in transgenic lupins may be related to the lower content of soluble non‐starch polysaccharides (45.6 vs 60.7 g kg^?1 air‐dry basis). Data on ileal amino acid digestibility indicate that the amino acids in transgenic lupins are as digestible as those in conventional lupins. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Responses of young chicks to amino acid supplementation of methanol-grown dried microbial cells

Two experiments have been conducted to examine the effects on chick growth and carcass composition of amino acid additions to diets containing spray-dried or flash-dried forms of methanol-grown microbial cells (S-DMC and F-DMC respectively). The spray-dried form was an early development product. An additional factor was the level of total nitrogen (N) in control diets containing soyabean (SBM) and in experimental diets containing 100 g S-DMC or 150 g F-DMC kg^?1 diet. In the first experiment, a diet containing S-DMC supported less growth than the control SBM diet containing equivalent concentrations of total N (39 g kg^?1 DM) and of the sulphur containing amino acids. Supplementation of S-DMC diets containing 36 and 32 g N kg^?1 DM with methionine had no substantial effect on growth or on carcass composition. In the second experiment, methionine supplemented SBM and F-DMC diets containing 43 g N kg^?1 DM elicited similar growth performance and efficiency of food conversion. However, the feeding of basal SBM and F-DMC diets containing sub-optimal concentrations of total N (35 and 36 g N kg^?1 DM respectively) resulted in inferior utilisation of the F-DMC diet, this effect being only partially alleviated by combined dietary supplements of arginine, lysine and methionine.     

N-nitrosamine content of New Zealand beer and malted barley

The nitrosamine content of 16 New Zealand beers and one Australian beer, all manufactured in 1980, was determined by chemiluminescence. The levels, calculated as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) ranged from 0.2–1.8 μg dm^?3 with a mean of 0.76 μg dm^?3. Over a period of 2 years, the NDMA levels in New Zealand malt have been reduced as the result of changes in kilning technology, introduced to control the level of nitrogen oxides in kiln air. For example, the mean value for directly-fired malt was 5.4 μg kg^?1, that for malt dried in air heated by burners to which sulphur had been added was 2.4 μg kg^?1 and that for malt dried in air to which SO₂ had been released was 0.3 μg kg^?1. For the purposes of quality control, screening beer or malt for nitrosamines can be accomplished adequately by the injection of CH₂Cl₂ extracts directly into a thermal energy analyser.     

Total mercury in milled rice and brown rice from China and health risk evaluation

Total mercury (THg) levels in 440 pairs of milled rice samples and brown rice samples from 15 major rice grain-producing provinces of China were measured and the associated health risk via rice consumption for different age categories of Chinese population was also assessed. THg contents were measured by a direct mercury analyser and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.5 μg kg^?1. The THg levels for milled rice samples and brown rice samples varied from non-detected to 17.8 μg kg^?1 and 1.5 to 25.4 μg kg^?1, respectively, with a mean level of 3.4 μg kg^?1 and 4.9 μg kg^?1, respectively. The THg levels in all milled and brown rice samples were generally low, except three brown rice samples having concentrations above the legally set value for cereals (20 μg kg^?1 Hg). THg intakes for different age categories were estimated according to THg content and corresponding rice consumption and the associated health risk was evaluated by the corresponding provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for THg (5.0 μg kg^?1 bw week^?1), which was established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The 50th percentile of the THg intakes via milled rice and brown rice consumption for different age categories was in the range 0.09–0.19 μg kg^?1 bw week^?1 and 0.14–0.27 μg kg^?1 bw week^?1, respectively, well below the PTWI, suggesting that the associated health risk is relatively low. However, the 99.9th percentile of the THg intakes for 2–4-year-old children amounted up to 20.6% of the PTWI (milled rice) and 29.5% of the PTWI (brown rice), which deserves attention.     

Content of selenium, total and inorganic arsenic and bioaccessibility of arsenic in children diets of Mexico

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake of selenium, total and inorganic arsenic and the bioaccessibility of arsenic in diets of Mexican schoolchildren using an in vitro method. RESULTS: Total and inorganic arsenic concentrations in the diets ranged from 0.05 to 1.15 mg kg^?1 dry weight (DW) and from 0.023 to 0.088 mg kg^?1 DW respectively, while selenium levels were between 0.08 and 0.20 mg kg^?1 DW. Daily intake of total and inorganic arsenic ranged from 0.15 to 10.49 µg day^?1 kg^?1 body weight (BW) and from 0.06 to 1.11 µg day^?1 kg^?1 BW respectively, while that of selenium varied from 0.29 to 2.63 µg day^?1 kg^?1 BW. Bioaccessibility of total and inorganic arsenic ranged from 4 to 97% (mean 44 ± 21.5%) and from 33 to 97% (mean 71 ± 22.5%) respectively. CONCLUSION: Inorganic arsenic levels in the diets were low. Therefore there appears to be a low risk of adverse effects resulting from excess inorganic arsenic intake from these diets. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of defatted dried roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seed powder on lipid profiles of hypercholesterolemia rats

BACKGROUND: In vivo investigations were made of the effect of defatted dried roselle seed powder (DRS) on the lipid profiles of rats with induced hypercholesterolemia. The two‐batch sample consisted of 23 and 20 Sprague‐Dawley male rats randomly divided into four groups and fed with four different diets. The first batch of rats was fed with normal, hypercholesterol, hypercholesterol + 10 g kg^?1 (w/w) DRS and hypercholesterol + 20 g kg^?1 (w/w) DRS diets. The second batch of rats was fed with normal, hypercholesterol, hypercholesterol + 50 g kg^?1 (w/w) DRS and hypercholesterol + 150 g kg^?1 (w/w) DRS diets. Treatments were given for a total of 5 weeks. RESULTS: Results indicated that the addition of 10 g kg^?1 and 20 g kg^?1 of DRS did not significantly lower the plasma total cholesterol (TC) levels. In contrast, 50 g kg^?1 and 150g kg^?1 DRS significantly lowered (P < 0.05) the TC and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) levels. CONCLUSION: The addition of 50 g kg^?1 and 150 g kg^?1 DRS showed potential hypocholesterolemic effects. Furthermore, these findings indicated that protein, lipid and dietary fibre were high in the seed powder. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Estimates of basal ileal endogenous losses of amino acids by regression analysis and determination of standardised ileal amino acid digestibilities from casein in newly weaned pigs

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to estimate basal ileal endogenous crude protein (CP) and amino acid (AA) losses (IAAL_B) in newly weaned pigs by regression analysis from apparent ileal digestible and the corresponding total dietary contents of CP and AA in order to obtain standardised ileal digestibilities (SID) of CP and AA originating from casein. A total of fourteen 3‐week‐old barrows were fitted with simple T cannulas at the distal ileum and were fed six diets with two pigs per diet in 4 weekly repeated measurements. Corn starch‐based diets containing six graded levels of CP from casein with 90, 155, 220, 285, 350 and 415 g kg^?1 CP (as‐fed basis) were formulated. RESULTS: Linear relationships (P < 0.001) between apparent ileal digestible and total dietary contents of CP and AA (g kg^?1 dry matter intake (DMI)) exist for CP and all AA in the range of 90–220 g kg^?1 CP content in the diet. The IAAL_B extrapolated from the range of 90–220 g kg^?1 CP content are different from zero (P < 0.001 to P = 0.019) except for tryptophan (P = 0.220). Based on regression analysis in the range of 90–220 g kg^?1 CP, estimates of IAAL_B, expressed as g kg^?1 DMI, and SID of CP and AA in casein (in parentheses, %) were as follows: CP 9.3 (98.0); arginine 0.4 (98.9); histidine 0.2 (98.5); isoleucine 0.2 (98.1); leucine 0.5 (99.2); lysine 0.4 (99.0); methionine 0.1 (99.1); phenylalanine 0.4 (99.9); threonine 0.6 (97.8); tryptophan 0.1 (96.2); valine 0.4 (98.5). CONCLUSION: The IAAL_B and SID of CP and AA originating from casein in newly weaned pigs are in close agreement with values obtained in grower finisher pigs. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cassava leaf meal as a replacement for coconut oil meal in pig diet

Two feeding trials were conducted to evaluate cassava leaf meal (CLM) as a replacement for coconut oil meal (COM) in tropical pig diets. In each trial, 36 pigs (initial weight, 14.5 kg) were limit fed diets containing 0, 133, 267 and 400 g kg^?1 CLM substituted for equal amounts (w/w) of COM in a 179 g kg^?1 protein basal diet. An extra-period Latin-square changeover design with 2-week periods was used. Average daily gain and feed efficiency were improved when diets containing 133 g kg^?1 CLM were fed, which may be attributed to the higher lysine content of CLM. Daily gain and feed efficiency of pigs fed diets containing 267 g kg^?1 CLM were similar to those on the basal diet. Poor performance of pigs fed the 400 g kg^?1 CLM diets may be explained by the low energy content and the presence of anti-nutritional factors, such as cyanide and tannin, in CLM. Two balance trials were conducted using 16 barrows (castrated male pigs, initial weight, 37.2 kg). Apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter, energy, protein, cell contents, cell wall and hemicellulose were depressed, whereas those for ash and lignin were improved as CLM was substituted for COM. The data indicate that cassava leaf protein is utilised efficiently, although other nutrients in CLM are not as digestible as those in COM.     

Aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid in feed and milk from dairy farms in São Paulo,Brazil

The occurrence of aflatoxins (AF) B₁, B₂, G₁, G₂ and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in feeds, and AFM₁ and CPA in milk was determined in dairy farms located in the northeastern region of São Paulo state, Brazil, between October 2005 and February 2006. AF and CPA determinations were performed by HPLC. AFB₁ was found in 42% of feed at levels of 1.0–26.4 µg kg^?1 (mean: 7.1 ± 7.2 µg kg^?1). The concentrations of AFM₁ in raw milk varied between 0.010 and 0.645 µg l^?1 (mean: 0.104 ± 0.138 µg l^?1). Only one sample was above the tolerance limit adopted in Brazil (0.50 µg l^?1) for AFM₁ in milk. Regarding CPA in feed, six (12%) samples showed concentrations of 12.5–153.3 µg kg^?1 (mean: 57.6 ± 48.7 µg kg^?1). CPA was detected in only three milk samples (6%) at levels of 6.4, 8.8 and 9.1 µg l^?1. Concentrations of aflatoxins and CPA in feed and milk were relatively low, although the high frequency of both mycotoxins indicates the necessity to continuously monitor dairy farms to prevent contamination of feed ingredients.     

Trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus,Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus)

Accumulation levels of trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus, Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus) from the Gulf of Antalya, Turkey were investigated. Copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The lowest Cu (1.33 mg kg^?1) and Cd (0.23 mg kg^?1) and highest Mn (1.52 mg kg^?1) concentrations were found in P. longirostris, the lowest Zn (6.25 mg kg^?1), Fe (1.84 mg kg^?1) and Mn (0.25 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. serratus and the highest Cu (6.19 mg kg^?1), Cd (2.36 mg kg^?1), Zn (30.84 mg kg^?1) and Fe (33.89 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. semisulcatus. The Cd levels detected in P. semisulcatus and P. serratus were above legislative limits. Our results show that there were significant differences in trace element concentrations among the three shrimp species. The highest levels of the five trace elements investigated, with the exception of Mn, were found in edible tissue of P. semisulcatus. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry