Inter Annual and Seasonal Dynamics in Lipidic Signatures of Sardinella longiceps

ABSTRACT

Seasonal variations (premonsoon, monsoon, and postmonsoon) of the lipid, fatty acid, and total cholesterol profile in edible tissues of Sardinella longiceps collected from the southwest and southeast coasts of India over 4 yr (2008–2011) were studied. The correlation between the fatty acid composition with chlorophyll-a concentration, sea surface temperature, total phytoplankton density, diatom concentration, and fatty acid profiles of pooled stomach microalgal content were also evaluated. Significant correlation was observed between oil sardine and pooled stomach microalgal content polyunsaturated fatty acids along with chlorophyll-a concentration, especially during the monsoon at the southwest coast and monsoon and postmonsoon at the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. Similarly, the health indices such as atherogenic index, thrombogenicity index, total cholesterol, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio of oil sardine were found to be ideal, which contributed toward its parameters to be qualified as an ideal health food.