Food Properties of Minced and Whole Jumbo Lump Page 126 Journal of Scientific Research and Development (2020) Vol. 19 (1) 126-137 A bi-annual journal published by the Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Nigeria http://jsrd.unilag.edu.ng/index.php/jsrd Food Properties of Minced and Whole Jumbo Lump of the Smooth Swim Crab, Portunus validus (Herklot, 1851) Lawal-Are, A. O. 1 , Moruf, R.O. 2 *, Sanni, M.A. 1 and Chukwujindu, C.M. 1 1 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State- Nigeria 2 Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Bayero University, Kano, Kano State- Nigeria *Corresponding author: tunjimoruf@gmail.com, +2348022429983 (Received 22 January 2020/Revised 18 May 2020/Accepted 24 May 2020) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT The jumbo lump is the only part of the crab that can be hand-picked as a whole piece, having a soft texture and a delicate and unique flavour. This research was aimed at studying the colour type, oleic acid and functional properties of minced and whole jumbo lump of the Smooth Swim Crab, Portunus validus using standard methods. Lightness values of minced and whole jumbo lump of the Smooth Swim Crab were over 80% higher than that of yellowness and redness. The oleic acid content followed decreasing order as whole berried female) > Minced non-berried female > minced berried female > whole non-berried female > whole male > minced male with respective % values of 2.98, 2.78, 2.58, 2.33, 2.19 and 1.98. Significantly (P<0.05) higher water absorption capacity (117.90±0.03 %) oil absorption capacity (67.10±0.10 %), swelling power (340.80±2.43%) and wettability (28.67±0.58 sec) were recorded in the minced jumbo lump while foam stability, 30.00±0.04 % was significantly lower than 40.00±0.05 % obtained in whole jumbo lump of non-berried female Smooth Swim Crab. The study suggests that the minced and whole of cooked jumbo lump have similar properties. Boiling of the Smooth Swim Crab resulted in harder jumbo lump whole pieces. Keywords: Crab meat, jumbo lump, cooking process, functional properties ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION Crabs of the Portunidae family are characterized by their paddle-shaped fifth pair of legs adapted for swimming, a dorso- ventrally flattened cephalothorax and a series of tooth-like projections along the anterolateral margin of the carapace (Moruf and Lawal-Are, 2017a). They are distinguished from the rest cyclometopes by the adaptation of some limbs transformed into flattened paddles for swimming. It was reported by Micheli and Peterson (1999) that the portunids inhabit a