Seasonal effects on fatty acids and cholesterol contents in Octopus vulgaris Cuvier 1797

The aim of this study was to investigate the fatty acids and cholesterol profile in the mantle of common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, collected twice a month in in coastal waters of Camocim/CE beach over the period from April to October. Although the Oleic acid (C18:n9) did not show significant changes over the months, the majority of fatty acids varied during this period of time. The Arachidonic (C20:4n6), oleic (C18:n9), stearic (C18:0), and linoleic (C18:2n6) acids were found in higher levels than those reported in the literature. Polyunsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids accounted for most of the octopus fatty acids. During the time of analysis, it was observed a gradual increase in the cholesterol and the fatty acids n3/n6 ratio presented the opposite result, i.e., a gradual decrease.