**7. Environmental parameters and nutrition effects on biocompounds variations**

Environmental and biological parameters could change the amount and structure of natural compounds (fatty acids, amino acids and steroids). The environmental and biological factors could change in the different seasons, therefore, seasonal changes have the main role in the variations in the amount and structure of natural compounds. Studies of seasonal variations in biochemical contents of organisms explain how environment, biology, ecology and physiology can affect the compositions. As such, seasonal variations in the biochemistry of phylum Mollusca are known to be related to the complex interaction of both biological parameters (reproduction, growth, food type, food bioavailability, sex, tissue variance), and environmental parameters (temperature, salinity of water and pH) [21, 23, 24].

Observations the close correlations between temperature in the aquatic environment and different compounds in the tissues of Mollusca, could be explained by varying the level of metabolisms in different temperatures, which could change in the amount of biocompounds in the tissues of animals. Also, salinity of water and pH has effect on the variations in the compounds such as fatty acids. The accumulation of fatty acids in the different tissues of organisms vary in different salinity and pH. Also, the accumulation of fatty acids in the different level of salinity and pH are not similar for different organs, and fatty acid profiles and their amounts in gill tissue for example, has more variations in the different salinities [4, 6].

Novel agricultural technologies, by changing animal feeds for better and short term productions, have decreased the omega-3 fatty acid contents in many foods such as meats, eggs, and even fish. Foods from edible wild plants contain a good balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. For instance, *Purslane*, a wild plant, in comparison to *Spinach*, red leaf lettuce, butter crunch lettuce and mustard greens, has eight times more ALA than the cultivated plants [30]. New aquaculture technologies produce fish with less omega-3 fatty acids than naturally grown fish in the ocean or freshwaters. The fatty acid composition in egg yolk from freeranging chicken has an omega-6: omega-3 ratio of 1.3 whereas egg production supervising by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conclude ratio of 19.9. By enriching the chicken feed with fishmeal or flaxseed, the ratio of omega-6: omega-3 decreased to 6.6 and 1.6

High omega-6/omega-3 ratios cause some disorders such as increasing in the end cannabinoid signaling and related mediators, which could lead to change inflammatory state, energy homeostasis, and mood. In animal experiments a high omega-6 acid intake leads to decreased insulin sensitivity in muscle and promotes fat accumulation in adipose tissues. Nutritional approaches with dietary omega-3 fatty acids reverse the dysregulation of this system, improve

End cannabinoids are lipids, derived from the omega-6 AA. Their concentrations are regulated by (1) dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids; and (2) by the activity of biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes involved in the end cannabinoid pathway, which is an important parameter in regulation of appetite and metabolism. The end cannabinoid system is involved in preservation of energy balance and sustained hyperactivity of the end cannabinoid system which result obesity. Finally, omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is important factor in regulation metabolism and enzyme activities, and is important factor in control and improve

**7. Environmental parameters and nutrition effects on biocompounds** 

Environmental and biological parameters could change the amount and structure of natural compounds (fatty acids, amino acids and steroids). The environmental and biological factors could change in the different seasons, therefore, seasonal changes have the main role in the variations in the amount and structure of natural compounds. Studies of seasonal variations in biochemical contents of organisms explain how environment, biology, ecology and physiology can affect the compositions. As such, seasonal variations in the biochemistry of phylum Mollusca are known to be related to the complex interaction of both biological parameters (reproduction, growth, food type, food bioavailability, sex, tissue variance), and environmen-

Observations the close correlations between temperature in the aquatic environment and different compounds in the tissues of Mollusca, could be explained by varying the level of metabolisms in different temperatures, which could change in the amount of

respectively [33].

240 Biological Resources of Water

**variations**

insulin sensitivity and control body fat [5, 7].

of the nervous system diseases and genetics [9, 10, 13, 14].

tal parameters (temperature, salinity of water and pH) [21, 23, 24].

Levels of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates (glycogen) have been shown to fluctuate with food availability. Food abundance allows for the accumulation of proteins and lipids in the tissues of the different species such as bivalves and gastropods. There are correlations between food type source and biocompounds structure, which increase in the food availability in the aquatic environment could result increasing the amount of the biocompounds in the tissues of the different species of Mollusca. When food availability levels are high in the environment the level of biocompounds are higher in comparison with other situations [17, 20]. The reproductive cycle and time spawning have the key role in the variation of chemistry compounds especially fatty acids, because of the high levels of energy needs for spawning processes and the high level of fatty acids consumed in this process [31, 32].

Lipids generally increase during the course of gametogenesis and decrease upon release of gametes. For proteins, diverging trends have been observed throughout gametogenesis and spawning. During gametogenesis, protein content was found to increase, decrease or even remain stable. During spawning, levels of protein were found to increase or decrease. Differences in food availability and water temperature conditions may partially explain the observed discrepancies since these factors are known to influence protein accumulation [1, 2].

Focusing on proteins and lipids, compounds involved in most biochemical and physiological processes of any organism is therefore useful for the recognition of ecological and physiological changes. Indeed, differences in seasonal trends have been observed among both AAs and FAs. More commonly reported, is the different behavior exhibited among free AAs in relation to salinity and that exhibited among FAs in relation to temperature. The biochemical composition of an organism is determined by endogenous (e.g., gametogenesis, maturation, spawning) and exogenous (e.g., food availability, salinity, temperature) processes. The temporal tests in the field of biochemical compounds permit intercrossing along with chronological and other variables allowing researchers to gain knowledge about ecology and physiology of an organism and also understanding how the surrounding ecosystem may affect [8, 9, 12].

There are significant differences between tissues and their activities for accumulation of amount and structure of natural compounds, and different tissues based on their activities can be accumulated fatty acids, amino acids and other compounds. Therefore, the level of compounds in the tissues are related to their activities. Some tissues such as gonad have highest level of biocompounds in comparison with the other tissues, due to this fact that gonad must have high level of energy for reproductive and spawning process. Since, gonad consume high amount of energy for this process, reproductive and spawning processes need high levels of energy. Also, gills need high energy levels for their metabolism, and so the high levels of fatty acids can be accumulate in this tissue [15, 16].

Sex types in the mollusca could affect variations in the concentrations and structures of natural compounds, because the biological factors are different between male and female animals and therefore changes in biological factors could cause variations in the compounds. One of the important factors in female animals is reproductive or spawning process, which could result variations during consuming of compounds. Since this process needs high energy, almost more energy levels are consumed in the reproductive cycles. Therefore, decreasing in energy levels of female species are observed. Also, other factors such as metabolism ratio vary between different sexes, therefore, level of compounds change between sex types [17].

[7] Bahamondes-Rojas I, Bretos M. Induction of spawning and early development in *Fissurella picta* (Mollusca: Archaeogastropoda) from Southern Chile. Journal of Shellfish Research.

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[8] Benkendorff K, Davis AR, Rogers CN, Bremner JB. Free fatty acids and sterols in the benthic spawn of aquatic molluscs, and their associated antimicrobial properties. Journal of

[9] Blunt JW, Copp BR, Munro MHG, Northcote PT, Prinsep MR. Marine natural products.

[10] Cohan CS, Karnes JL, Zhou FQ. Culturing neurons from the snail Helisoma. Methods in

[11] Constantino V, Fattorusso E, Menna M, Taglialatela-Scafati O. Chemical diversity of bioactive marine natural products: An illustrative case study. Current Medicinal Chemistry.

[12] Hadfield MG, Paul VJ. Natural chemical cues for settlement and metamorphosis of marine invertebrate larvae. In: McClintock JB, Baker BJ, editors. Marine Chemical Ecology. Boca

[13] Iijima R, Kisugi J, Yamazaki M. l-Amino acid oxidase activity of an antineoplastic factor of a marine mollusk and its relationship to cytotoxicity. Developmental and Comparative

[14] Ishikura M, Hagiwara K, Takishita K, Haga M, Iwai K, Maruyama T. Isolation of new Symbiodinium strains from tridacnid giant clam (*Tridachna crocea*) and sea slug (*Pteraeolidia ianthina*) using culture medium containing giant clam tissue homogenate. Marine Bio-

[15] Jansen BJM, de Groot A. Occurrence, biological activity and synthesis of drimane sesqui-

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[17] Koueta N, Boucaud-Camou E. Combined effects of photoperiod and feeding frequency on survival and growth of juvenile cuttlefish *Sepia officinalis* L. in experimental rearing.

[18] Gannefors C, Boer M, Kattner G, Graeve M, Eiane K, Gulliksen B, Hop H, Falk-Petersen S. The Arctic sea butterfly *Limacina helicina*: Lipids and life strategy. Marine Biology.

[19] Hanuš LO, Levitsky DO, Shkrob I, Dembitsky VM. Plasmalogens, fatty acids and alkyl glyceryl ethers of marine and freshwater clams and mussels. Food Chemistry. 2009;**116**:

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Finally, according to many studies conclusions biotic and abiotic factors have effective results on variations of natural compounds. Throughout abiotic and environmental factors; temperature, salinity and pH, and in biotic factors; growth, reproduction cycle, food availability, sex type, tissue variances and functions, have the most important effects on the variations of natural compounds concentration and structure of lipids, fatty acids, amino acids and steroids.
