Magnesium levels in vital organs of Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus L., from the Turkish region of Eastern Mediterranean

One of the macro elements, Magnesium (Mg) found in the heart, liver and kidney tissues was analyzed and compared between wild/fattened and female/male Bluefin Tuna (BFT) in the Turkish region of the Eastern Mediterranean. For this purpose, 110 individual (i.e., 55 female and 55 male) samples of wild and fattened tuna were investigated. Mean Mg levels in the heart, liver and kidney tissues of wild BFT were found to be as follows: 42.52, 46.73 and 38.60 mg/100 g w wt. Analogous data for the fattened fish were as follows: 38.06, 49.74 and 41.13 mg/100 g w wt. In comparison of wild with fattened fish, Mg differences in the heart, liver and kidney tissues were significant (p<0.05). In terms of gender, mean Mg values in the heart, liver and kidney tissues of 55 wild and 55 fattened individual female BFT were analyzed, respectively to be as follows: 45.12, 49.47, 41.08 and 38.37, 51.02, 44.24 mg/1 OOg w wt. Additionally, these parameters for the same tissues of 55 wild and 55 fattened male specimens were detected, respectively to be as follows: 39.93, 43.98, 36.12 and 37.74, 48.45, 38.02 mg/100 g w wt. According to gender, differences in levels of Mg in the heart and kidney tissues of wild vs. fattened female samples were significant except for liver tissues (p<0.01) however, for male specimens, differences in Mg in the same tissues of wilds vs. females were significant (p<0.05). © Medwell Journals, 2010.