ABSTRACT
Interannual and seasonal (premonsoon, monsoon, and postmonsoon) variability in the lipid, fatty acids, and total cholesterol content of ribbon fish, Trichiurus lepturus were determined for a period of 4 years (2008–2011) along the southwest (SW) and southeast (SE) coasts of India. The lipidic compositions were studied along with chlorophyll-a concentration and sea surface temperature (SST) data obtained from MODIS and Sea WiFS. The lipid content shows seasonal fluctuations with higher values in the postmonsoon season along the SE coast and during the monsoon in the SW coast. Among polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) dominated over eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) throughout the seasons except in winter on the SE coast. The health indices such as atherogenic/thrombogenicity indices, total cholesterol, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio of ribbon fish were found to be ideal, which contributed toward its parameters to be qualified as a potential health food.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi for providing necessary facilities and encouragements to carry out the work under ICAR Outreach Activity-3 on “Nutrient Profiling of Fish as a Food for Health and Dietary Component.” The authors thank the Director, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, for his guidance and support. Thanks are due to the Head, Marine Biotechnology Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute for facilitating the research activity.