Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Fatty acid and Amino acid Profiles of Domestic and Wild Beluga (Huso huso) Roe and Impact on Fertilization Ratio

Mahmoudreza Ovissipour and Barbara Rasco

A comparison of the fatty acid, amino acid and proximate composition between the roe of wild and cultivated beluga (Huso huso) sturgeon from Iran are presented here. The fatty acid profile varied between wild and cultivated sturgeons but there was no differences observed for proximate composition and amino acid profile. The wild sturgeon roe contained higher amounts of n-3 fatty acids particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) (wild: 2.9%, cultivated: 1.24%) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) (wild: 5.1%, cultivated: 2.38%). Linolenic and linoleic acids were the predominant fatty acids in roe from cultivated beluga, a reflection of diet and also a likely physiological adaptation to a higher temperature environment. Low levels of PUFA in cultivated sturgeon negatively affected fertilization and hatching ratios which were significantly lower than for the wild fish. Hence, in order to culture beluga, feed with higher fatty acid with more n-3 is necessary to reach high quality roe and fertilization and hatching ratio.