Comparison of Physicochemical Properties of Meat and Viscera with Respect to the Age of Abalone (Haliotis discus hannai)

We compared the physicochemical properties of meat and viscera with regard to the age of abalone (1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year-old abalone). With respect to total amino acids, the level was highest in 1-year-old abalone, at , whereas 4-year-old abalone had the lowest value of . In the viscera, 3-year-old abalone had the greatest level of total amino acids, at , whereas 1-year-old abalone had the lowest, at . The level of total free amino acids in meat tended to increase with age whereas that of the viscera fell. The level of polyunsaturated acids decreased with age in meat. The concentration of chondroitin sulfate in both meat and viscera tended to increase with age. This was especially noticeable in meat. The level in 1-year-old abalone, (w/w), rose to in 4-year-old abalone, with statistical significance. On the other hand, the collagen level in both meat and viscera decreased with age. Again, this was particularly noticeable in meat, where the concentration in 1-year-old abalone, , fell remarkably to the value of in 4-year-old abalone. We have thus provided basic data for research on abalone.