Fatty acid profile of wild and farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

Historically farmed fish were frequently found to exhibit a lower ratio of n3/n6 fatty acids compared to wild fish. This study compares the proximate and fatty acid composition of wild and cultured gilthead sea bream fish from a lagoon in NW Greece. Wild fish contained less fat and showed different fatty acid profiles. Farmed fish exhibited threefold higher concentrations of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) in muscle and twofold in visceral fat. Their muscle tissue contained higher levels of saturated fatty acids and higher ratios of eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid (0.49 +/- A 0.04 vs. 0.03 +/- A 0.01; I < 0.001). Wild fish exhibited lower levels of muscle n-3 fatty acids (15.87 +/- A 0.82 vs. 19.89 +/- A 1.06; P < 0.001) but a higher ratio of n-3/n-6 (2.22 +/- A 0.14 vs. 1.64 +/- A 0.10, I < 0.001). These results emphasize the need to further explore dietary manipulation of fatty acid content as a method of improving the fatty acid profile and maximise the health benefits of consuming farmed fish.