Quality aspects of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from a suspended culture in the lagoon of Venice (Valle DogĂ ) were examined in different seasons over a 1-year period. Ecophysiological and commercial quality indicators (condition index, content of meat, shell and intervalvar fluid), nutritional quality parameters (proximate and mineral composition, glycogen content, fatty acid profile, cholesterol, plant sterols, fat-soluble vitamins content) and levels of organic pollutants (polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides) were determined at different times of the year. Seasonal variations were observed in the nutrient content, with particular regard to moisture (ranging from 866.8 g kg â1 in June to 938.8 g kg â1 in September), protein (23.9 g kg â1 in September to 76.6 g kg â1 in June), ash (22.5 g kg â1 in February to 29.5 g kg â1 in July), lipid (3.0 g kg â1 in September to 8.8 g kg â1 in June) and glycogen (0.7 g kg â1 in September to 11.5 g kg â1 in February). In spite of this variability, the nutritional quality of the oysters was generally good, especially just before gamete release when the concentration of nutrients was at its maximum. Low levels of organochlorine chemicals were detected in the edible meat of oysters but, because only a limited number of samples were analysed, no general conclusion can be drawn on the safety of seafood from this area.
INTRODUCTIONThe cultivation of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) is practised in very limited areas of the Italian coast and represents only a minor sector in the cultivation of bivalve molluscs, a well-established activity producing about 250 000 metric tons per year.In spite of the limited incidence of oyster production in our country, the peculiar organoleptic characteristics of their meat, increasingly appreciated by Italian consumers, and their high economic value make the sector of oyster cultivation a promising one.Crassostrea gigas oysters were introduced some decades ago to the Adriatic coast from the Atlantic for aquaculture purpose. This species is characterised by a high capability to resist wide fluctuations of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen concentration compared with the indigenous species Ostrea edulis. In Italy the fishery 'valle', a system of canals and lock gates used for aquaculture in lagoons, offers a sheltered environment with chemical,