Seasonal variation in the fatty acid composition and quality of sardine oil from Sardinops sagax caeruleus of the Gulf of California

One of the few sources of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is fis h oil, but considerable variation may exist according to species and season . In this study, the fatty acid profiles of sardine oils from Sardinops sag ax caeruleus of the Gulf of California, Mexico, were evaluated in three sea sonal catch periods. Oil quality was also evaluated by peroxide and free ac id values. The most. abundant fatty acids found in the oils were palmitic a cid (19.3%), oleic acid (14.3%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20.4%), and do cosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 12.2%). There was no significant difference in the composition and quality among the six reduction plants where the samples w ere obtained. However, a significant difference in the proportion of EPA an d DHA in one of the catch seasons analyzed was observed.