EVALUATION OF FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION IN FARMED AND WILD SEA-BASS (DICENTRARCHUS-LABRAX)

In recent years the production of fish, both farmed and wild, consider ably increased all over the world. This is due to the improvement of f arming and fishing techniques, but also to the increased demand, becau se of the high nutritional value of fishery products. They are rich in unsaturated Fatty acids, that play a favourable role in preventing th e onset of several human diseases, primarily cardiovascular. Sea-bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a very valuable fish and is presently extens ively farmed. This favours its stable presence on the market at reason able prices. However, there is a considerable difference in price betw een farmed and wild Fish. In the present research, farmed and wild sea bass were compared: percentage composition and fatty acid composition were evaluated. Percentage composition was the same in both groups. So me differences were found in the Fatty acid composition: polyunsaturat ed fatty acids, the most dietetically important compared to monounsatu rated ones, were considerably higher in wild fish than in farmed ones, in which the monounsaturated Fatty acids were found to be higher. Thi s could partially justify the higher value of wild products. Furthermo re, the possibility of estabilishing some criteria to discriminate far med and wild fish is desirable, to protect consumers because of the di fferent commercial value of the two products.