Progress in Fishery Sciences (Dec 2023)
Analysis of Fatty Acid Composition in Different Tissues of Adult Female Coilia nasus Collected from the Yangtze Estuary
Abstract
Coilia nasus is a species of anadromous migratory fish, which predominantly lives in the sea. During the breeding season, the reproductive population migrates from the sea to rivers to reproduce and clusters to form a fishing season. The Yangtze Estuary is an important migration channel for this species. In recent years, due to the influence of upstream dam construction, water conservancy projects along the Yangtze River, environmental pollution and overfishing, the populations of this species in the Yangtze River are on the verge of extinction. In order to better protect C. nasus in the Yangtze River, a large number of studies on the conservation and management of its resources, migration habits, genetic structure, and the effects of resource recovery on this species have been conducted. As for the nutritional composition of C. nasus, studies have been conducted on the different sources, ecotypes, breeding methods, and stages of gonad development. These studies have mainly focused on the muscle nutrition of C. nasus from the Yangtze River; however, none have investigated the nutritional composition of different tissues of the reproductive populations from the Yangtze Estuary. This study is the first to determine the nutritional status of the reproductive population that migrates to the Yangtze Estuary with mature ovaries, and to compare and analyze the distribution characteristics of total lipids and fatty acids in different tissues, and provides reference information for ascertaining the nutritional status and reproductive performance of this species in the Yangtze Estuary. In this study, the contents of moisture, total lipid, and fatty acid composition in muscle, liver, and ovary tissues of adult female C. nasus with gonad development stage Ⅳ were measured and analyzed using standard GB methods. The results indicated that: The moisture content declined successively in muscle, liver, and ovary tissues, with measurements of (77.91±1.61)%, (75.01±1.33)%, and (46.77±5.58)%, respectively. The total lipid content of dry matter increased successively in muscle, liver, and ovary tissues, with measurements of (16.21±1.09)%, (21.94±1.23)%, and (55.21±1.35)%, respectively. The saturated fatty acids (SFA) content was (29.89±0.81)%, (37.60±3.06)%, and (18.33±1.61)% in the muscle, liver, and ovaries, respectively, with the highest in the liver and the lowest in the ovaries. There were significant differences in SFA contents among the three tissues (P0.05). The ratio of UFA/SFA in muscle, liver, and ovary tissues was 2.35, 1.67, and 4.49, respectively, and the ratio of n3-PUFA/n6-PUFA in the same three tissues was 4.94, 3.87, and 5.13, respectively. These ratios were highest in the ovary, followed by the muscle, and were the lowest in the liver. In summary, the total lipid, PUFA, EPA, DHA, and n3-PUFA contents and the ratios of UFA/SFA and n3-PUFA/n6-PUFA were highest in ovary tissues, and the distribution characteristics of the corresponding composition in different tissues was closely related to the reproductive habits of this species during gonad development stage Ⅳ. The accumulation of rich lipids and reasonable essential fatty acid nutrition in the ovary can improve the reproductive performance of C. nasus in this stage and provide sufficient nutrition and energy sources for the development of eggs and larvae in the subsequent stage. In this study, it was found that the lipid and polyunsaturated fatty acid nutrition of C. nasus adults with ovarian development to stage Ⅳ selectively accumulated in the ovary, which is an adaptation to the reproductive activities of this species at this stage. The results provide basic data for determining the differences in nutritional demands of C. nasus adults at different ovarian development stages and the mechanisms for the synthesis and transformation of essential fatty acids. Additionally, this study lays a foundation for further exploration of the relationship between ovarian nutritional status and egg quality. Relevant data can enrich the reproductive biology knowledge of this species and provide theoretical guidance for protecting the reproductive population and the maintenance of C. nasus spawning grounds in the waters adjacent to the Yangtze Estuary.
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