Investigation on the Shelf Life and Changes of Lipid and Fatty Acid Composition of Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) in Frozen Storage

Abstract

A study was carried out on the shelf life, fatty acid composition and changes in lipid profile of Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) from the Southern Caspian Sea for twelve months in frozen storage at -220C. Fresh fish tissue had 84.41% unsaturated fatty acids whereas in the case of twelve month frozen samples it was 77.45%. Significant amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was present in the samples. The amount of tissue lipid (9.71%) and co- 3 fatty acids (16.64%) has come down to 8.03 and 8.98%, respectively during frozen storage. The peroxide value increased to 20.11 meq/kg by twelve months in frozen storage from the initial level of 7.24 meq/kg. There were significant variations in the amount of some fatty acids like myristic, a - linolenic and arachidonic acids. Significant difference was also observed in co-3 and co-6 fatty acids series during frozen storage. The results of this study indicate that the maximum shelf life for Sturgeon is up to six-months in frozen storage