Changes of fatty acid profiles in fillets of Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) during frozen storage

In this study changes in fatty acids profile during frozen storage at -18°c of cobia (rachycentron canadum), caught from the persian gulf (bandar abbas) were studied. changes in saturated fatty acids (sfas), monounsaturated fatty acids (mufas), polyunsaturated fatty acids (pufas), epa+dha/c16, n-3 pufa/n-6 pufa (n-3/n-6) and polyunsaturated fatty acids /saturated fatty acids (pufa/sfa) were investigated during a six- month storage at -18°c. eighteen fatty acids were found in cobia, with higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (46.07%), monounsaturated fatty acids (33.72%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (15.44%). the mufas and pufas reduced from 33.72 to 26.26% and 15.44 to 10.78%, respectively. palmitic acid (c16:0, 27.42% of total fatty acids) and stearic acid (c18:0, 12.62%) were the dominant saturated fatty acids. the major unsaturated fatty acids were determined as docosahexaenoic acid (c22:6n3, 5.76%), oleic acid (c18:1n9, 25.76%) and linoleic acid (c18:2n6, 4.38%). as a result of the frozen storage (up to 6 months), marked content decreases were found in fatty acid groups such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and n-3 polyunsaturated, as well as in the n-3/n-6 ratio and it means that the nutritional value of cobia has decreased.