Seasonal Changes in Free Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Compositions of Sardines, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792): Implications for Nutrition.

Vida Šimat,Tanja Bogdanović,Sandra Petričević,Imen Hamed

doi:10.3390/foods9070867

Vida Šimat, Tanja Bogdanović + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070867

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify the seasonal variation in the proximate composition of the free amino acid (AA) and fatty acid (FA) profiles of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) from the Adriatic Sea and to better understand the nutritive value needed to organize more effective industrial processing, aquaculture use and to ensure the health benefits for consumers through available bioactive compounds such as omega-3 FA and essential AA. The lipid content ranged from 1.18 to 10.58% during the year, being the highest from July to September. For the first time, this paper reports the monthly variation in AA content in sardines. The highest total AA content was measured during the winter period, from January (843 mg/100 g fillet) to March (953 mg/100 g) with histidine, arginine and threonine being the most dominant. The total content of essential free AA (histidine, threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and lysine) ranged from 137 to 571 mg/100 g fillet (wet weight), recorded in May and March, respectively. The fatty acid profile analyses revealed the major saturated FA as palmitic (C16:0), followed by myristic (C14:0), and stearic (C18:0) acids, and the predominant monosaturated FA as oleic (C18:1n–9) and palmitoleic (C16:1n–7). The high concentrations of polyunsaturated FA in sardines were omega-3 FA, particularly eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA; 20:6n-3) FA. From July to September, their content was the highest (>3.5 g/100 g of sardine fillets), confirming that these species are excellent sources of bioactive lipids.

Highlights

The European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) is a highly nutritive and the most important species of the Mediterranean Sea fisheries [1]
The aim of this study is to investigate the seasonal changes in proximate composition, free amino acid, and fatty acid profiles in the European sardine over a one-year period and to provide a report that is useful for dietary guidance and nutrition counseling
8 kg of sardines were purchased from the local fish factory, which cooperates with large number of fishermen, between 15th and 20th of each month from January to December of 2018

Summary

Introduction

The European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) is a highly nutritive and the most important species of the Mediterranean Sea fisheries [1] It is a small, oily, pelagic fish from the Clupeidae family distributed throughout the North Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Black Seas [2,3]. The nutritional importance of sardines as essential lipids rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), high-value, easy digestible proteins which contain all essential amino acids (AA) necessary for healthy human diets, minerals and vitamins, are well known [6,7]. These features give the fish health-promoting properties, including physical and mental wellbeing. The benefits from fish intake include a reduction in coronary heart

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