Determination of the total fat content and fatty acid profile of selected Cambodian smoked fish

Bc. Kateřina Holmanová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Fish is one of the main source of food for rural Cambodian population. Next to rice, it is a staple food that provides dominant part of protein intake, as well as essential fatty acids and micronutrients that contribute to better nutrition and overall health state of Cambodians. However, Cambodia still faces severe malnutrition. Fat content and fatty acid profile of 12 smoked fish species, 31 samples in total, which were collected from small-scale smoked fish producers located in 5 provinces (Kampong Chhnang, Battambang, Siam Reap, and Kampong Cham) around Tonlé Sap Lake in Cambodia. Fat content was determined by using semi-automatic Soxhlet extractor. Extracted fat was derivatizated to obtain fatty acid methyl esters, which were determined on GC-MS and GC-FID. Interval of fat content was ranging from 3.28% to 47.43%. The highest mean values were found for R. hobelmani and the lowest for C. laciniata. Few species showed significant differences at 5% level within one species, which is explained by differences in diet, age or seasonal variation of collected samples. Next to other factors, especially diet composition, has impact on fatty acid profile. The predominant fatty acids found in tested fat samples of smoked fish were oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, and n-3 PUFAs (EPA and DHA). The highest value of DHA (13.67%) as well as EPA (12.86%) showed C. laciniata, which is significantly higher than other tested samples. The biggest proportion of unsaturated fatty acid showed Cambodian commercially important fish species C. striata and C. macrocephalus. The results showed strong potential of small fish species, C. laciniata especially, and their products in human nutrition term as source of fat rich on n-3 FA. However, further analysis need to be done to confirm these findings.

Keywords

smoked fish, fat content, PUFA, DHA, fatty acid profile, Cambodia

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 25. 4. 2019

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: doc. Ing. Jan Banout, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / odbor:
Tropical Agriculture / Sustainable Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics