Omega-3 fatty acid content of intact muscle of farmed atlantic salmon (salmo salar) examined by 1 H MAS NMR spectroscopy

Abstract

In the present study, 1 H MAS NMR spectra of intact salmon muscle was obtained and the total n-3 fatty acid content was quantified. The data from the MAS NMR analyses were compared to those obtained by estimating the n-3 fatty acid content in extracts from equivalent muscle samples (by 1 H NMR and by gas chromatography (GC)). The results from MAS NMR and from 1 H NMR were usually in good agreement, while the content of n-3 estimated by GC was in general higher than estimated by the NMR techniques. HR MAS NMR is a rapid, noninvasive, and nondestructive method, with an experimental time of about 1-2 min. This opens up possibilities to examine the n-3 fatty acids in fish and fish products without any chemical pretreatment of the products, making NMR a valuable tool in the nutritional evaluation and general quality control of fresh and processed fish products.