Changes in the dynamics of structured water and metabolite contents in early developing stages of eggs of turbot (Psetta maxima)

The dynamics of structured water and the contents in main metabolites were determined using two techniques of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for the developing eggs of the flatfish Psetta maxima. The unfrozen water (structured water), and its thermodynamic properties were modified during embryogenesis, especially in two developmental stages, from ova to morula (8 h), and from organogenesis (70 h) to the pre-hatching stage (128 h). These modifications were closely related to the metabolization of vitelloproteins and consequently to the concentration of aminoacid and choline compounds.