Nutritional Composition and heavy Metal Concentrations in Sardinella maderensis (Lowe, 1838) obtained from the Mauritanian fisheries

Abstract

This study attempts to delineate the nutritional value and potential problem of toxic metal contamination in Sardinella maderensis (Lowe,1838) originating from Mauritanian fishery destined for regional common human consumption. Samples caught in Mauritania were delivered to Turkey by ship in 22 days in cold storage. Amino acids, fatty acids and toxic metal analyses of the samples were carried out by using a HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatograph), GC (Gas Chromatography) and a ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry), respectively. Overall, the range of total Saturated Fatty Acids (SFAs), Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) were found to be 34.35%, 28.13% and 34.50%, respectively. In terms of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)+Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels were found to be in total 24.34%. Amino acids content such as glutamic acid, histidine, leucine and lysine were 1735.5, 1,409, 1,580 and 1,710.5 mg/100 g tissue, respectively. Toxic metal levels of Hg, Cd, As, Cr, Mn, Co were determined to reach values between 0.03–4.19 mg/kg. Athough the study is limited, it seems that results on the composition of fatty acids and amino acid, indicate the high nutritional value, well suited for human consumption in particular in terms of omega 3 and essential amino acids.