A meat soup of fresh-water softshell turtle,
Trionyx sinensis japonicus, has been considered one of the most palatable foods, but little is known about the characteristics of the chemical composition of the meat. We determined the nitrogenous constituents of meat extracts of five specimens of fresh-water softshell turtles,
i.e., a specimen cultured with sole and dried silkworm pupa for two months after hibernation (A) and those cultured successively with an artificial diet of eel (B), dried silkworm pupa (C), sole (D), and a mixed diet of pork, sole, and vegetable (E) for four months. The proximate compositions of meat and adipose tissue, which corresponded to 21.6-24.5% and 2.3-7.2% of the total weight respectively, were estimated. Specimen A seemed to be slightly consumed on the bases of lower amounts of meat and adipose tissue and lower concentration of fat in those tissues, as compared to specimens B-E. The meats of fresh-water softshell turtle contained extractive nitrogen ranging from 253 to 289mg per 100g of meat. Relatively large amounts of carnosine, taurine, histidine, β-alanine, glutamine, glutamic acid, creative, and adenosine triphosphate were found in the extracts of turtle meat, although the concentration varied with the specimens. Specimen A was higher in the amounts of histidine, β-alanine, anserine, and lower in carnosine, proline, phenylalanine, serine, glutamic acid, and citrulline than those of B-E. Some remarkable differences were noticed in the levels of β-alanine, phenylalanine, serine, cystathionine, taurine, glutamic acid, glutamine, citrulline, histidine, carnosine, and arginine among the specimens B-E.
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