Visceral oil from farmed Sparus aurata, Dicentrarchus labrax and Diplodus puntazzo as a source of ω-3 PUFA

Abstract

Crude oils recovered from the viscera of conventionally and organically farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and sharpsnout sea bream (Diplodus puntazzo) were characterised. Triacylglycerols (TAG) and phospholipids (PL) were the major lipid classes. Visceral oils contained high levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The DHA/EPA ratios (range 1.66–2.46) were higher in organically farmed fish. Total PUFA and n-3 fatty acid levels varied according to both species and rearing system, and were higher in the conventionally farmed sparids. The ratios of n-3 to n-6 PUFA (1.42–2.19) were comparable to the values reported for muscle lipids, while the PUFA/SFA ratios (1.07–1.33) exceeded the recommended value. Visceral oils exhibited good oxidative stability, as judged by monitoring lipid oxidation products during storage at 63°C. These data indicate that the viscera of all three species may represent a good source for the production of omega-3 rich oils.