Fatty Acid Profile of Fresh and Processed Shortfin Scad Fish (Decapterus macrosomma)

Abstract

Fisheries resources in Indonesia, especially in Maluku including small pelagic fish species hold an important role in the daily consumption of the society. Small pelagic fish include fishes that are exist in the sea level such as cob fish (Auxis thazard), skipjack fish (Katsuwonus pelamis), layang fish (Decapterus macrosomma) and others. Chemically, fat is the esters of fatty acids and glycerol. Fats composed by fatty acids consisting of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. The body’s ability to synthesize unsaturated fatty acids with two or double bond is very limited, so these fatty acids must be obtained from food. The purposes of this research are to know the type of fatty acids found in fresh and processed Shortfin scad fish; to know the content of fatty acids found in shortfin scad fish. The method used in this study includes the extraction of fat, then the process of transesterification and observation with GCMS. The results showed Fatty Acid Profiles of Fresh Shortfin scad Fish (Decapterus macrosomma) consisted of myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, nonadecanoic acid, arachidic acid, lignoceric acid, heptadecanoic acid which are classified as saturated fatty acids, whereas unsaturated fatty acids include palmitoleic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosanoic acid and oleic acid. Fatty acid profile of processed shortfin scad fish, smoked shortfin scad fish, are myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, nonadecanoic acid, arachidict acid, lignoceric acid, behenic acid, pentadecanoic acid, margaric acid, mellisic acid that are classified as saturated fatty acids, while those classified as unsaturated fatty acids are palmitoleic acid, oktadecanoicacid, arachidonic acid and eicosanoic acid.