Comparison of fatty acid compositions and ω3/ω6 ratios of wild brown trout and cultured rainbow trout

Fish are a unique dietary source beneficial to human health. These valuable effects originate from ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the fish oil. In this study, fatty acid composition of the muscle lipids of Salmo trutta macrostigma (wild brown trout) and Oncorhynchus mykiss (cultured rainbow trout) in Gezende Dam Lake were determined by gas chromatographic technique. In both species, palmitic acid (16.26-18.94%), oleic acid (17.88-20.49%) and DHA (14.08-18.49%) were identified as major saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), respectively. Wild fish contained significantly more linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, total ω3 fatty acids and has higher ω3/ω6 ratio than cultured fish. In conclusion, wild brown trout may have a higher nutritional value considering total ω3 fatty acids (35.52-27.43%) and ω3/ω6 ratio (3.84-1.56) compared to cultured rainbow trout.