Free amino acid pattern in Indian shrimp (Metapenaeus dobsonii).

Free amino acids in fish and shell fish are believed to confer characteristic flavours to these sea-foods and also serve as an index of microbial spoilage in early stages. The present account describes the quantitative estimation of the free amino acids by ion-exchange chromatography. Glycine, arginine, glutamic acid, threonine, proline, and alanine have previously been reported to figure prominently in the amino acid pool; but the major Indian shrimp species, Metapenaeus dobsonii, is deficient in the last 2 amino acids. Taurine has been identified for the first time in Indian sea-foods.