Lipid Composition of the Liver Oil of Shark Species from the Caribbean and Gulf of California Waters

Lipid class and fatty acid composition of liver oil samples of Galeocerdo cuvier andCarcharhinus falciformis were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and gas–liquid chromatography (GLC), respectively. Major inter-species differences were detected for lipid classes composition and fatty acid profiles. Triacylglycerols (TAG) accounted for 56.9% of the total lipid in the liver of Carcharhinus falciformis, while diacyl-monoalkylglycerols (DMAG) represented 29.8% for Galeocerdo cuvier. These two lipid classes accounted for two-thirds of total lipid in both species. Fraction percentages for saturated, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids varied greatly between species. Figures for C. falciformis were 35.3, 20.8 and 37.7%, respectively, and 20.8, 50.6 and 18.4% for G. cuvier. Oil from the latter species contained marginal amounts of DHA and no EPA, however, its high content of monoenoic fatty acids contrasted with the high amount of DMAG detected.