Fatty acid profile and chemical composition of some warm water fish species from retail stores

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the chemical and fatty acid composition of representative fish (common carp, silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp, tench, catfish and zander) which were collected from retail stores in area of Novi Sad. Chemical analysis and fatty acid determinations were carried out in the Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade. The amount of protein was the highest in zander fillets (19.27%) and the lowest percentage of protein was found in grass carp fillets (14.73). Percentage of fat ranged from 1.8, in the muscles of zander, to 10.07 in the meat of carp. The total cholesterol content was the highest in Chinese carps fillets (around 65.38mg/100g), and the lowest in catfish (33.14mg/100g). The amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) was the lowest in zander (28.6). Tench contained the highest percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) 34.78% and the lowest percentage was detected in common carp (20.1%). PUFA/SFA, which is an indicator of the quality of lipids was the most favourable in zender 1.17. Also, significant is the ratio of unsaturated (UFA) to saturated (SFA) fatty acids in fish lipids and it was the best in the fat of zender 2.53, but no significance difference among species was not observed (p>0,01). The chemical and fatty acid composition of fish varies greatly between different species and within the same species. Quality of fish meat in our retail stores is quite good but it should be improved by using completed formulated feed mixtures on fish ponds.