Variations in the fatty acid compositions of the liver and gonad tissue of spiny eel (Mastacembelus mastacembelus) from Ataturk Dam Lake

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate quantitative and qualitative fatty acid profiles of the gonad and liver tissue of female Mastacembelus mastacembelus (spiny eel). Methods: Total lipids were extracted with 5 mL of chloroform-methanol (2:1 v/v). Samples containing gonad and liver lipid were transesterified with acidified methanol. The fatty acid methyl esters were extracted with hexane. Fatty acids were detected by gas chromatography (GC). Results: The major saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0) in both gonad and liver tissue. Oleic acid (C18:1 omega-9) and palmitoleic acid (C16:1 omega-7) were the prominent monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA). The dominant polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 omega-6), arachidonic acid (AA, C20:4 omega-6), docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5 omega-3) and docoesahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 omega-3). The ratio of omega-3/omega-6 ranged from 1.55 to 3.44 and 1.18 to 2.71 in the gonad and liver tissue, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study will be useful for understanding the seasonal distribution of fatty acid composition in the liver and gonad of spiny eel.