Lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of wild and cultured sweet smelt Plecoglossus altivelis muscles and eggs in Korea

Abstract

Lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of the muscles and eggs of wild and cultured sweet smelt in Korea from different habitats and fish culture farms were compared. Non-polar lipid (NL) content was in proportion to total lipid (TL) content and higher in the cultured fish muscles and eggs than in the wild fish. Phospholipid (PL) content showed almost no difference between the wild and cultured fish muscles. The fish eggs contained approximately three times as much PL as the fish muscles. The prominent NL classes of the fish muscles were triglyceride (TG) and free sterol (ST), and additionally, sterol ester (SE) was one of the prominent NL classes in the fish eggs. Each of the cultured fish muscles or eggs had proportions higher in TG and lower in ST compared with those of wild fish, respectively. These NL class proportions in fish muscles showed almost no difference in association with their wild habitats, fish culture farms as well as sex, while those in the fish eggs differed significantly. The PL class proportions of the fish muscles were similar in all samples, except those of the fish cultured in Miryang City. The wild fish muscles were rich in 16:1n-7, 18:3n-3 and 20:5n-3, whereas the fatty acid proportions showed almost no differences between fish habitats. The cultured fish muscles were rich in 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6, and 22:6n-3, in which the fatty acid proportions showed significant difference between fish farms due to different diets.