Protein and lipid content and fatty acid composition of anchovy meal produced in Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the fatty acid composition and lipid and protein levels of anchovy meal produced during the commercial fishing period. The protein content was 74.69%, 76.17% and 74.40% in November, December and January, respectively. The lipid content ranged from 8.57% to 9.14% for anchovy meal produced during the fishing season. The total saturated fatty acid content was 33.25%, 33.46%, and 33.61% in November, December and January, respectively. Within the saturated fraction, the major fatty acid was palmitic acid (C-16:0), the content of which was 20.30%, 19.96% and 20.66%, respectively. The monounsaturated fatty acid contents ranged from 20.23% to 21.62%. Concerning the monounsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid (C18:1n- 9) was present in larger percentages (12.29% to 13.44%) than the others. Among polyunsaturated fatty acids the largest concentration was for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3), varying from 17.44% to 19.16%. The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) content, which is another important fatty acid, was between 7.52% and 8.36%. The concentrations of n- 3 PUFA (27.04%- 27.95%) of anchovy meal were higher than those of n- 6 PUFA (4.14%- 4.95%). The ratio of n- 3 to n- 6 fatty acids of anchovy meal was 5.47 in November, 6.17 in December, and 6.75 in January.