Influence of seasonality on the chemical composition of oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae).

Abstract This paper aimed to evaluate the influence of seasonality on the chemical composition of oysters ( Crassostrea rhizophorae ). Samples were collected during summer and winter from the estuary and lagoon complex of the municipality of Barra de Sao Miguel, Alagoas, Brazil. Statistical differences ( p n  − 3 and n  − 6), and the lower levels of saturated fatty acids. Therefore, the animals in winter presented a higher content of cholesterol oxides. The levels of cholesterol oxides found in these products during winter may encourage researchers to investigate the composition of oysters cultivated in different climates all over the world.