Muscle lipids and fatty acid profiles of three edible fish from the Mauritanian coast: Epinephelus aeneus, Cephalopholis taeniops and Serranus scriba

• Published in: Food chemistry 2011, Vol.124 (1), p.24-28
• Main Authors: Ould Ahmed Louly, Abdel Wedoud, Gaydou, Emile M., Ould El Kebir, Mohamed Vall
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cephalopholis taeniops; Docosahexaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Epinephelus aeneus; fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; lipid composition; lipid content; marine fish; Mauritania; monounsaturated fatty acids; oleic acid; omega-3 fatty acids; omega-6 fatty acids; palmitic acid; polyunsaturated fatty acids; PUFA; saturated fatty acids; seafoods; seasonal variation; Serranidae; Serranus; Serranus scriba; skeletal muscle; species differences
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.05.097

Muscle lipids and fatty acids (FA) of three largely consumed seawater species of Serranidae ( Epinephelus aeneus, Cephalopholis taeniops, and Serranus scriba) from the Mauritanian coast, were determined through 1 year. The lipid contents were relatively poor, ranging from 0.8% to 2.3% showing a significant seasonal dependency. Amongst the 35 FA identified, 35–51% were saturated FA (SFA), 21–33% monounsaturated FA (MUFA), and 18–34% polyunsaturated FA (PUFA). Palmitic acid was found to be the main SFA, and was seasonal dependent, with a mean value of 30.5% for E. aeneus, 27.9% for C. taeniops, and 20.9% for S. scriba. Amongst MUFA, oleic acid, with 11–16%, was the main acid in all three species. The n6 PUFA level was low, in particular for C. taeniops (1.3–1.6%), and a little higher for S. scriba (3.6–4.2%). The three species were characterised by high amounts of n3 PUFA. Amongst them, docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n3) was the highest with 5–9% for C. taeniops, 13–17% for S. scriba, and 10–16% for E. aeneus. Eicosa-5,8,11,14,17-pentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n3), was the second highest n3 PUFA, with 4–13%.