Fatty acid analysis of marine fish
Topic outline
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Fatty acids play an important role in the biology of marine fish. Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA, EPA, and ARA are involved in the regulation of membrane fluidity, nervous tissue development, sensory behavior, and the synthesis of bioactive substances. Fatty acids also serve as a metabolic source of energy. Information such as fatty acid content and fatty acid composition is useful as an index that quantitatively or qualitatively indicates the nutritional status of marine fish.
Figure: Fatty acid analysis conducted with the muscles of larvae (above).
Approximately 50 types of fatty acids (including ARA, EPA, and DHA) were quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography.
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The fish oil analysis team routinely analyzes over 500 samples of fatty acids every year. Recently, we have succeeded in analyzing trace amounts of fatty acids contained in one larva. By the method of gas chromatography, we were able to analyze fatty acids in the muscle of larvae with a length of around 3 mm. This new method will be a powerful tool for investigating the growth and survival of wild larvae in the future.
Figure: Plots of EPA and DHA proportions (mol% of total fatty acids) vs. standard lengths of Thunnus orientalis larvae.
The fatty acid analysis revealed that the EPA content differed according to the sampling area (the Nansei Islands with high water temperature vs. Sea of Japan with low water temperature).
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