By-products of farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) as a potential source of n-3 PUFA

Total by-products (TBP) obtained by filleting farmed and wild European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were analyzed to evaluate if, on the basis of the percentage yield, total lipid content and fatty acid composition, they can be considered a resource of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Results show that TBP from intensively farmed fish (IFF) contain higher total lipid content and have a higher level of n-3 PUFA rich in eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosaexaenoic acid (DHA), compared to extensively farmed fish (EFF) and to wild fish (WF) (P < 0.05). This difference may suggest a way of promotion of TBP from IFF sea bass through the n-3 PUFA recovery by extraction.