Evaluation of Chemical Elements, Lipid Profiles, Nutritional Indices and Health Risk Assessment of European Eel (Anguilla anguilla L.)

The concentrations of ten elements (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Hg, Cu, Mn, and Cd) and fatty acids were analyzed in muscles of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla Linnaeus, 1758). The eels were caught in freshwater lakes connected with the Sawica River (north-eastern Poland). On this basis, it was determined whether the consumption of the fish is beneficial and safe for the health of the consumer. The results showed that the metal concentrations followed this order: K > Na > Ca > Mg > Zn > Fe > Hg > Cu > Mn > Cd. The fatty acids gave rise to the following sequence: MUFAs > SFAs > n-3 PUFAs > n-6 PUFAs. The target hazard quotient (THQ) value was below 1.0. The hazard quotient for the benefit-risk ratio HQ_EFA (0.39) also was below one, indicating that the intake of the recommended dose of EPA + DHA (250 mg/day) and the intake of mercury (0.415 mg/kg) for a person weighing 70 kg does not pose an obvious risk for human health. The lipid quality indices were OFA: 24.69, DFA: 74.36, AI: 0.55, and TI: 0.41. Based on the above statements, the consumption of eel meat is safe from a health point of view. However, the levels of toxic metals in the muscles of eels and their environment should continue to be monitored, as eels occupy a high position in the food chain.

Assessment of the effects of sex and harvesting season on lipid and fatty acid composition of Sparidae species

In the present study, the lipid amount and fatty acid profile of different Sparidae species, including gilthead seabream, juvenile gilthead seabream, annular seabream, white seabream, common two-banded seabream were evaluated. Fish were seasonally collected from Köyceğiz Lagoon (Muğla, South Western Turkey) from June 2018 to June 2019 and after collection, the sex of each specimen was recorded. According to the results of the study, the highest lipid amount was found in female annular seabream individuals as 8.09 ± 0.78% in November and the lowest lipid amount was found in male juvenile gilthead seabream as 0.98 ± 0.12% in March. Palmitic acid and oleic acid were determined as the most abundant SFA and MUFA for all species, respectively. The highest value of DHA, which was the predominant PUFA was assessed as 15.33 ± 0.26% in female white seabream in November whereas the lowest value (3.83 ± 0.36%) was found in gilthead seabream in December. The n-6/n-3 ratio was determined between 0.27 ± 0.00 (for male common two-banded seabream in July)-1.20 ± 0.03 (for male gilthead seabream in December) and it followed within the range of healthy values for all species. As a conclusion, it was found that values of lipid and fatty acid profiles among the examined Sparidae species vary among the season of collection. The results of the study gave the seasonal nutritional values of four economically-important Sparidae species that being rich in healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA, have beneficial in human nutrition.