Abstract
Fatty acids (FA) are among the most important natural biologically active compounds. A healthy diet involves the intake of different fatty acids especially from omega-3 (n-3) series. Seafood provides a very good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), but in Bulgaria there is limited information regarding the n-3 PUFA contents in traditionally consumed seafood by the population. The aims of this study were to determine lipid content, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA), and the recommended daily intake of eleven fish species, three bivalves, rapana, and shrimp harvested in the Western part of Black Sea, Bulgaria. Total lipids were extracted according to the method of Blight and Dyer and fatty acid composition was analyzed by GC/MS. Fatty acid profile showed differences among species. PUFA were found in high content among total lipids, especially in shellfish (60.67–68.9% of total lipids) compared to fish species (19.27–34.86% of total lipids). EPA was found in higher amounts in rapana (0.16 g/100 g ww) and two of pelagic species (up to 0.29 g/100 g ww), whereas DHA prevailed in demersal and the most of pelagic fish (0.16–1.92 g/100 g ww) and bivalves (0.16–1.92 g/100 g ww). The health beneficial n3/n6 and PUFA/SFA ratios were found in all analyzed species. The lower values of the lipid nutritional quality indices (AI < 1, TI < 1) and higher for h/H index (0.8–1.78 for fish and 1.52 to 4.67 for bivalves and shrimp) confirm that the commonly consumed Black Sea fish and shellfish may provide health benefits for local populations. This study shows the seafood amounts that can provide the minimum recommended intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Highlights
Lots of studies are focused on natural functional foods that can provide both basic and essential nutrients for human health and reduce the risk of incidence of various chronic diseases [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
While excessive intake of SFA and trans fatty acids is associated with negative effects on the human body [8,9], the n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6 n-3, DHA) acids, are linked with the decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [1,2,10,11]
Earlier studies reported data on the lipid and fatty acid composition of some Black Sea fish and shellfish species and showed that total lipid content and FA profiles, including PUFA levels, are species-specific [19,20,21,22,23,24,25]. Having in mind these facts, the aims of this study were to determine lipid content, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA), and the recommended daily serving of eleven fish species, three bivalve species, one gastropod, and one crustacean species harvested from the Western part of the Black Sea, Bulgaria, and regularly available on the Bulgarian fish markets
Summary
Lots of studies are focused on natural functional foods that can provide both basic and essential nutrients for human health and reduce the risk of incidence of various chronic diseases [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. A number of FA especially omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), such as EPA and DHA, have been recognized as vital food components, due to the well-established relationship between their consumptions and cardiovascular diseases. While excessive intake of SFA and trans fatty acids is associated with negative effects on the human body [8,9], the n-3 long chain PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6 n-3, DHA) acids, are linked with the decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [1,2,10,11].
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