A comprehensive review on the protein and lipid quality of marine scallops

The advent of positive socioeconomic changes and rising incomes has precipitated a dramatic increase in demand for luxury seafood, including scallops. The nutritional quality of scallops has been reported for different species from various geographical regions, but this information is not well organized. In this context, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic evaluation of the proximate composition, amino acid quality, and fatty acid quality of scallops on a global scale. The protein and lipid composition of scallops exhibited significant variability among studies. Scallops are a source of high-quality protein and lipids, with fatty acid profiles that are notably superior. While certain scallops are known to contain all essential amino acids in sufficient amounts, valine frequently emerges as the primary limiting essential amino acid in the majority of scallops. With respect to the composition of fatty acids, scallops exhibit a notable abundance of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). The content of EPA + DHA in most scallops exceeds 20% of total fatty acids, and in some cases reaches as high as 50%. The lipid quality indices (n-3/n-6 and PUFA/SFA ratios) of scallops are generally higher than recommended values, with the exception of a few documented cases with unusually low PUFA/SFA ratios. The findings of this study offer consumers detailed nutritional information on scallops and serve as important guidance for developing aquaculture and selective breeding programs for scallops.