Sterol and Mineral Profiles of the Common Sea Snail Hinia Reticulata and the Long Sea Snail Nassarius Mutabilis (Gastropods) Collected from the Middle Adriatic Sea

Abstract

Sea snails represent a common food in the world as a source of sterols, such as cholesterol and phytosterol, and minerals. Sterols play important roles in body functions and also minerals are important for human health, so the intake of these nutrients into human diets should be known. The aim of this study was to examine the sterol and mineral profiles of the long (Hinia reticulata) and the common (Nassarius mutabilis) sea snails. Samples of both species were collected at different catch times from November 2019 to March 2020 and transported to the University of Camerino (UNICAM) for the evaluation of their sterol and mineral profiles, including toxic elements (Cd, Cr, Pb). The results of the study showed that the average content of total lipid were 57 mg/100 g, 38 mg/100 g for cholesterol and 19 mg/100 g for phytosterol in the long sea snail, and the values were respectively 68, 48, and 20 mg/100 g in the common sea snail, without significant differences in the two examined sea snails. Additionally, the result of the mineral analysis showed that both species were significant sources of minerals, with negligible levels of toxic metals and metalloids. Therefore, the Long and the Common sea snail are suitable and safety sea products for human nutrition.