Comparative Assessment of Fatty Acids in Clams From Capo Peloro Lagoon (Sicily)

In Italy, the consumption and the production of shellfish, including clams, is considerable and has a significant impact on human health. In the lagoon of Capo Peloro (Sicily), three native clam species, Cerastoderma glaucum, Ruditapes decussatus, and Polititapes aureus, are traditionally farmed, locally commercialized, and highly appreciated by consumers. The fatty acid (FA) profile of these Sicilian species collected in 2023 and 2024 was evaluated and compared with the non-commercial samples from the reserve of Oliveri-Tindari (Sicily) and the extensively commercial R. decussatus from Sardinia. The results confirmed a low-fat product, rich in C16:0 (22.37%–31.88%) and DHA (9.59%–17.48%). Samples from Capo Peloro are characterized by the highest content of saturated FAs (42.78%–50.88%) while samples from Sardinia have the highest content of polyunsaturated FAs (37.26%–40.83%). However, the fat in all samples demonstrated high nutritional quality, supported by good nutritional indexes and significant levels of EPA and DHA. Statistical analysis, used to differentiate the samples according to location, sampling year, and species, highlights the influence of environmental factors, seasonal variation, and genetic diversity on the FA composition. Among these, climatic temperature appears to be the most influential factor in regulating the balance between saturated and unsaturated FAs.