Marcos Trigo

Impact of a packing medium with alga Bifurcaria bifurcata extract on canned Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) quality: Canned mackerel quality and Bifurcaria bifurcata

BACKGROUND The present research focused on the quality of canned fish. Its primary objective was the quality enhancement of canned Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) by including an aqueous Bifurcaria bifurcata extract in the packing medium. Various alga extract concentrations were tested and compared with a control without alga extract. After 3 months of canned storage, the cans were opened and quality changes in fish white muscle were analyzed. RESULTS An inhibitory effect on lipid oxidation development (tertiary compound formation) and color parameter (L* and b*) values was observed as a result of the alga presence in the packing medium. On the contrary, the presence of the alga extract did not produce any effect on volatile compound (total and trimethylamine) formation and lipid hydrolysis (free fatty acid formation) development. CONCLUSION A preservative effect derived from the use of an aqueous B. bifurcata extract as packing medium is concluded, and this result is primarily linked to the presence of hydrophilic preservative molecules. The packing system proposed in this work constitutes a novel and promising strategy to enhance the quality of commercial canned fish products.

The chemical composition of different edible locations (central and edge muscles) of flat fish (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis)

Summary The chemical composition of the different edible locations (central and edge muscles) of a flat fish (megrim, Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) was comparatively analysed at both body sides. Higher moisture and lower lipid contents were obtained in central muscles than in edge ones. Edge sites showed higher triacylglycerols and sterols contents and lower mean phospholipids values than central muscles. A higher α-tocopherol presence was observed in the lipid fraction of central muscles than in the edge ones. For both fish sides, fatty acid (FA) analysis showed lower monounsaturated FA and higher polyunsaturated FA contents and ω3/ω6 ratios in central muscles. Presence of essential elements (Co, Cu, Mn, Se, Zn) did not provide differences among sites considered. Concerning toxic elements, As content showed greater levels in central muscles than in their corresponding edge sites for both fish sides, upper zones showed higher mean scores in As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb and V.

A Comparative Study of Lipid Composition of an Undervalued Crustacean (Munida spp.) Captured in Winter and Summer

ABSTRACT This research was focused on the lipid fraction of an undervalued crustacean (lobster krill; Munida spp.) and the comparative study of individuals captured at winter and summer seasons. For this purpose, seasonal variations were analyzed in the muscle (i.e., tail meat) for proximate composition, lipid class distribution, and fatty acid (FA) profile. Mean total lipids ranged from 0.75 ± 0.08% (summer) to 0.92 ± 0.06% (winter), moisture from 77.94 ± 0.25% (winter) to 78.62 ± 0.38% (summer), and protein from 17.93 ± 0.46% (summer) to 18.22 ± 0.46% (winter). Regarding lipid class content (% of total lipids), phospholipids ranged from 64.85 ± 1.29 (summer) to 67.85 ± 2.56 (winter), sterols from 12.15 ± 0.35 (winter) to 13.54 ± 0.54 (summer), triacylglycerols from 0.04 ± 0.02 (summer) to 1.25 ± 0.88 (winter), and free FA from 1.14 ± 0.72 (winter) to 2.19 ± 0.34 (summer). In both seasons, the most abundant FA were C22:6ω3, C16:0, C18:1ω9, and C20:5ω3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were found to be the most abundant group in samples from both seasons (50.4–55.3%). Higher PUFA values were determined in summer samples, while a highly valuable ω3/ω6 ratio (from 9.11 ± 1.12 in summer to 10.40 ± 1.39 in winter) was observed. It is concluded that in spite of being a low-fat product, the lipid fraction of this underutilized crustacean can provide highly valuable constituents.