Seasonal Variation of Fatty Acid Composition in Muscle Total Lipids of Male and Female Individuals of Alburnus Tarichi

Abstract

In our study, sixteen types of fatty acids were determined as a result of muscle tissue analysis, among which, out of saturated fatty acids,16:0; out of monounsaturated ones, 16:1n-7 and 18:1n-9; and out of polyunsaturated ones, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 were major. Other fatty acids were found in trace amounts. Out of saturated fatty acids, 16:0 was found to be 14.94% on average in females and 15.34% in males. 16:0 increased in August in both sexes. The ratio of 18:0 was at the level of 4% in both sexes. Furthermore, this component was found to fluctuate depending on the months. 16:1n-7 was 13.28% in female individuals and 13.16% in males. The ratio of 18:1n-9, which was the other major MUFA component, was 21.67- 25.40% in females, while it was 20.63-27.73% in male individuals. It was observed that this component decreased in both sexes in February, while it increased in females in October and in male fish in August. The ratio of 20:5n-3, which is another polyunsaturated component, did not change significantly among months, with an average value of 11.60% in females and 10.93% in males. The ratio of 22:6n-3, which was found as the other major one, decreased in October with a rate of 12.61% in females and 12.67% in males and showed a similar distribution in the other months. In the analyses, the ratio of ω3/ω6, which is important in terms of the nutritional value of fish, was determined as 3.97 on average in females and 3.88 on males. These components increased in December in both sexes, whereas they decreased in February. We determine ∑SFA increased in August in both sexes, and ∑MUFA increased in October, but ∑PUFA decreased in the same month. In all analyzed months, ∑MUFA and ∑PUFA were more than ∑SFA in both sexes.