The influence of season on the lipid profiles of five commercially important species of Brazilian fish

This study aimed at determining the influence of season (summer and winter) the total lipid, fatty acid and cholesterol contents of five popular fish species: the sardine, Sardinella spp., the croaker Micropogonias furnieri (marine species), the curimbatل Prochilodus spp., the tilلpia, Oreochromis spp. (fresh water species), and the seabob shrimp, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri. Total lipid analysis was performed by the dry column; fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography and cholesterol was determined by a colorimetric method. Statistical treatment of results showed that sardines collected during winter had the highest lipid contents (10.62). The sardine, the croaker, the tilلpia and the curimbatل were not influenced by seasonality in terms of their total saturated and unsaturated acid contents. The highest contents of eicosapentanoic acid (3.02 and 1.87%) and docosahexaenoic acid (10.1 and 11.3%) were found in the sardine. The shrimp presented the highest cholesterol contents (165 mg/100 g in summer and 165 mg/100 g in winter).