Abstract
Post-mortem changes in content of ATP and its related compounds, free amino acids, and polyamines were investigated in the tail muscle of Japanese spiny lobster Panulirus japonicus, rock lobster Jasus lalandii from South Africa, and American lobster Homarus americanus from Canada during storage at 0, 5, and 10°C.
Initial ATP level in the muscle of Japanese spiny lobster was higher than other species and the decreasing rate was the slowest. During storage, AMP and IMP accumulated to a similar extent in the muscle of Japanese spiny lobster, while only IMP accumulated in the muscle of American lobster. In the muscle of rock lobster, neither AMP nor IMP accumulated and inosine increased rapidly. Taurine, asparagine, glutamine, proline, glycine, and arginine were dominant in every lobster, and no polyamine was detected in the early stage of storage. With degradation of arginine, ornithine increased in the muscle of rock lobster, while both ornithine and putrescine increased to about the half of the initial arginine level in the muscle of American lobster. Arginine remained at a higher level, and the other two compounds did not increase in the muscle of Japanese spiny lobster.
