Comparison of Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition in the Edible Meat of Wild and Cultured Freshwater and Marine Fish and Shrimps from China

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2011-03, Vol.59 (5), p.1871-1881
• Main Authors: Li, Guipu, Sinclair, Andrew J, Li, Duo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquaculture; Aristichthys nobilis; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical Composition of Foods/Feeds; China; fatty acid composition; Fatty Acids - analysis; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - analysis; Fatty Acids, Omega-6 - analysis; Fish and seafood industries; Fishes; Food industries; Fresh Water; freshwater fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hypophthalmichthys molitrix; lipid content; Lipids - analysis; marine fish; meat; Meat and meat product industries; omega-3 fatty acids; omega-6 fatty acids; Penaeidae; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Seafood - analysis; Seawater; Shellfish - analysis; shrimp; trophic relationships
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf104154q

The lipid content and fatty acid composition in the edible meat of twenty-nine species of wild and cultured freshwater and marine fish and shrimps were investigated. Both the lipid content and fatty acid composition of the species were specified due to their unique food habits and trophic levels. Most of the marine fish demonstrated higher lipid content than the freshwater fish, whereas shrimps had the lowest lipid content. All the marine fish and shrimps had much higher total n-3 PUFA than n-6 PUFA, while most of the freshwater fish and shrimps demonstrated much lower total n-3 PUFA than n-6 PUFA. This may be the biggest difference in fatty acid composition between marine and freshwater species. The cultured freshwater fish demonstrated higher percentages of total PUFA, total n-3 PUFA, and EPA + DHA than the wild freshwater fish. Two freshwater fish, including bighead carp and silver carp, are comparable to the marine fish as sources of n-3 PUFA.