Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal Variations in Lipid Content, Fatty Acid Composition and Nutritional Profiles of Five Freshwater Fish from the Amazon Basin

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

Fish from the Amazon Basin are affected by oscillations in the river water volume, which influences the diet of animal species. This study was aimed at evaluating seasonal variations in lipid content, fatty acid composition and nutritional profiles of five fish species from the Amazon Basin. The lipid contents of all fish species were observed to be lower in flood periods than in drought periods; Brachyplatystoma flavicans showed the largest variation (6.75–15.43 %) between these periods, while Colossoma macropomum showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). The fatty acid composition in the five fish species varied throughout seasonal periods; saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents decreased in flood periods, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents significantly (p < 0.05) increased for all the species in the same period. Leporinus friderici showed the highest content of α-linolenic acid, (LNA 14.86 mg g−1) and Colossoma macropomum presented the highest content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA 26.13 mg g−1) in flood periods. Prochilodus nigricans showed the lowest content of arachidonic acid (AA) in both periods, while Brachyplatystoma flavicans showed the greatest amount of AA, 18.77 mg g−1 in drought period and 22.10 mg g−1 in flood period. All the fish species presented favorable indices of nutritional quality of lipid fraction, suggesting that consumption of these species could be considered beneficial to human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Goulding M (1979) Ecologia da pesca do rio madeira. INPA, Manaus

    Google Scholar 

  2. Junk WJ, Soares MG, Saint-Paul U (1997) The fish. In: Junk WJ (ed) The Central Amazon Floodplain: Ecology of a pulsing system. Springer, Berlin

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Fisheries Ministry of Brazil (2011) Boletim Estatístico da Pesca e Aquicultura (2011) Fisheries Ministry of Brazil, Brasília

  4. Ruffino ML, Isaac VJ (1995) Life cycle and biological parameters of several Brazilian Amazon Fish species. NAGA ICLARM 4:41–45

    Google Scholar 

  5. Silva JAM, Pereira-Filho M, Oliveira-Pereira MI (2003) Valor nutricional e energético de espécies vegetais importantes na alimentação do tambaqui. Acta Amaz 33:687–700

    Google Scholar 

  6. Carolsfeld J, Harvey B, Ross C, Baer A (2003) Migratory Fishes of South America: Bioloy, Fisheries and Conservation Status. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa

    Google Scholar 

  7. Santos GM (1982) Caracterização, hábitos alimentares e reprodutivos de quatro espécies de aracus e considerações ecológicas sobre o grupo no lago Janauacá—AM (Osteichtyes, Characoidei, Anostomidae). Acta Amaz 12:713–739

    Google Scholar 

  8. Santos GM, Zuanon JAS, Ferreira EJ (2006) Peixes comerciais de Manaus. Ibama/Pro várzea, Manaus

    Google Scholar 

  9. Barthem R, Goulding M (1997) The catfish connection: ecology, migration and conservation of Amazon predators. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  10. Petrere-Jr M, Brathem RB, Córdoba EA, Gómez BC (2004) Review of the large catfish fisheries in the upper Amazon and the stock depletion of piraíba (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum Lichtenstein). Rev Fish Biol Fisher 14:403–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Luz-Agostinho KDG, Agostinho AA, Gomes LC, Júlio-Jr HF, Fugi R (2009) Effects of flooding regime on the feeding activity and body condition of piscivorous fish in the Upper Paraná River floodplain. Braz J Biol 69:481–490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Garcia A, Sánchez H, Rodríguez R, Montreuil V, Vargas G, Tello S, Dunpochelle F (2009) Hábitos alimentícios del dorado Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii (Castelnau, 1855) em la Amazonía Peruana. Folia Amaz 1:7–13

    Google Scholar 

  13. Simopoulos AP (2008) The importance of the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio in cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Exp Biol Med 233:674–688

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Calder PC, Yagoob P (2009) Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and human health outcome. BioFactors 35:266–272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Cabré E, Mañosa M, Gassulla MA (2012) Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory bowel diseases—A systematic review. Brit J Nutr 107:240–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Luzia LA, Sampaio GR, Castelucci CMN, Torres EAFS (2003) The influence of season on the lipid profiles of five commercially important species of Brazilian fish. Food Chem 83:93–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Val AL, Almeida-Val VMF (1995) Fishes of the Amazon and their Environment—Physiological and Biochemical Aspects. Spring-Verlag, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  18. Cunniff PA (1998) Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International (16th edn.). AOAC, CD—Rom, Arlington

  19. Bligh EG, Dyer WJ (1959) A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Phys 37:911–917

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hartman L, Lago RC (1973) Rapid preparation of fatty acid methyl esters from lipids. Lab Pract 22:475–476

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Maia EL, Rodriguez-Amaya DB (1993) Avaliação de um método simples e econômico para a metilação de ácidos graxos com lipídios de diversas espécies de peixes. Rev Inst Adolfo Lutz 53:27–35

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Visentainer JV (2012) Analytical aspects of the flame ionization detector 383 response of fatty acid esters in biodiesels and foods. Quím Nova 35:274–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ulbricht TLV, Southgate DAT (1991) Coronary heart disease: seven dietary factors. Lancet 338:985–992

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Santos-Silva J, Bessa RJB, Santos-Silva F (2002) Effect of genotype, feeding system and slaughter weight on the quality of light lambs. Lives Prod Sci 77:187–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. StatSoft (2004) Statistica 7.0 Software. Statsoft, Tulsa

  26. Inhamuns AJ, Franco MRB (2008) EPA and DHA in two species of freshwater fish from Central Amazonia. Food Chem 107:587–591

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Inhamuns AJ, Franco MRB, Batista WS (2009) Seasonal variations in total fatty acid composition of muscles and eye sockets of tucunaré (Cichla sp.) from the Brazilian Amazon area. Food Chem 117:272–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Zlatanos S, Laskaridis K (2007) Seasonal variation in the fatty acid composition of three Mediterranean fish—sardine (Sardina pilchardus), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) and picarel (Spicara smaris). Food Chem 103:725–728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Almeida NM, Franco MRB (2006) Determination of essential fatty acid in captured and farmed tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) from the Brazilian Amazon area. J Am Oil Chem Soc 83:707–711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Goulding M (1980) The fishes and the forest: explorations in amazon natural history. University of California Press, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  31. Costa APR, Andrade DR, Vidal Junior MV, Souza G (2005) Indicadores quantitativos da biologia reprodutiva de fêmeas de piau-vermelho no Rio Paraíba do Sul. Pesq Agropecu Bras 40:789–795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Resende EK, Catella AC, Nascimento FL, Palmeira SS, Pereira RAC, Lima MS, Almeida VLL (1995) Biologia do curimbatá (Prochilodus lineatus), pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) e cachara (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) na bacia hidrográfica do rio Miranda, Pantanal do Mato Grosso do Sul. EMBRAPA-CPAP, Brazil, p 75

    Google Scholar 

  33. Nikolsky GV (1963) The ecology of fishes. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  34. Henderson RJ (1996) Fatty acid metabolism in freshwater fish with particular reference to polyunsaturated fatty acids. Arch Anim Nutr 49:5–22

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Tocher DR (2003) Metabolism and functions of lipids and fatty acids in Teleost fish. Rev Fisher Sci 11:107–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Fernandes CC (1997) Lateral migration of fishes in Amazon floodplains. Ecol Freshw Fish 6:36–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Steffens W (1997) Effects of variation in essential fatty acids in fish feeds on nutritive value of freshwater fish for humans. Aquaculture 151:97–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Bowden TJ, Thompson KD, Morgan AL, Gratacap RML, Nikoskelainen S (2007) Seasonal variation and the immune response: a fish perspective. Fish Shellfish Immun 22:695–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Carbonera F, Santos HMC, Montanher PF, Schneider VVA, Lopes AP, Visentainer JVV (2014) Distinguishing wild and farm-raised freshwater fish through fatty acid composition: application of statistical tools. Eur J Lipid Sci Tech 116:1363–1371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Fernandes CE, Vasconcelos MAS, Ribeiro MA, Sarubbo LA, Andrade SAC, Filho ABM (2014) Nutritional and lipid profile in marine fish species from Brazil. Food Chem 160:67–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Ramos Filho MM, Ramos MIL, Hiane PA, Souza EMT (2010) Nutritional value of seven freshwater fish species from the Brazilian pantanal. J Am Oil Chem Soc 87:1461–1467

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the support of Federal University of Roraima and State University of Maringá, in conducting this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Science Program, State University of Maringa, Colombo Avenue, 5790, Maringá, Parana, 87020-900, Brazil

    Maria Eugênia Petenuci & Vanessa Vivian Almeida Schneider

  2. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Roraima, 69310-000, Brazil

    Iolanda do Nascimento Araújo Rocha & Luiz Antonio Mendonça Alves da Costa

  3. Chemistry Program, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Roraima, 69310-000, Brazil

    Sueli Caetano de Sousa

  4. Federal University of Technology-Paraná, Apucarana, Parana, 86812-460, Brazil

    Vanessa Vivian Almeida Schneider

  5. Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringa, Maringá, Parana, 87020-900, Brazil

    Jesuí Vergilio Visentainer

Authors
  1. Maria Eugênia Petenuci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Iolanda do Nascimento Araújo Rocha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sueli Caetano de Sousa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vanessa Vivian Almeida Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Luiz Antonio Mendonça Alves da Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jesuí Vergilio Visentainer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Eugênia Petenuci.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Petenuci, M.E., Rocha, I.d.N.A., de Sousa, S.C. et al. Seasonal Variations in Lipid Content, Fatty Acid Composition and Nutritional Profiles of Five Freshwater Fish from the Amazon Basin. J Am Oil Chem Soc 93, 1373–1381 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-016-2884-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-016-2884-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation