Phosphonolipids in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Abstract

One of the possible roles of phosphonolipids is that they have a contribution to the protection of cellular integrity and survival of aquatic organisms (mollusca, cnidaria) as these lipids are included at high percentages. The total lipids of the edible mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Mytilidae) were found to constitute 1.27% of fresh tissue. Polar lipid components constitute 61.5% of the total lipids. After separation by Solid Phase Extraction, the polar lipid fraction was separated by two dimensional thin-layer chromatography and the total phosphorus of each component, was determined. The main polar lipids found were: Phosphatidylcholine, 41.6 ± 0.8% (of which 11.3 ± 0.5% was glyceryl ether analog); ceramide aminoethylphosphonate 11.2 ± 0.2% plus 2.8 ± 0.1% another minor species; phosphatidylethanolamine, 26.6 ± 0.5% (of which 12.2 ± 0.3% was glyceryl ether analog). The individual ceramide aminoethylphosphonate species were isolated by preparative thin layer chromatography and the structure of the major one was confirmed by a combination of analytical and chromatographic methods. Saturated fatty acyl groups with 16 carbon atoms were the main components (48.4%) of the major ceramide aminoethylphosphonate species. Diglyceride aminoethyl phosphonates were not found in lipids of M. galloprovincialis.