Fatty acid content and potential health benefits of consuming gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

The fatty acid composition of wild sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus auratus L.) were compared with gas chromatography. These two species are widely cultivated in Europe and represent a significant portion of consumed fish in the region. The aim of the present work was to compare the nutritional value of fatty acids in the flesh of wild sea bass and sea bream. Significant differences were observed in the saturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acid content. The presence of lauric, myristic and palmitic acids in the flesh of sea bream in quantities far exceeding those in sea bass make sea bream less suitable for preventing cardiovascular diseases. The poly-unsaturated n-3 fatty acids with both anti-atherogenetic and anti-inflammatory action in sea bass surpass those of sea bream by a total of 30%. Sea bass also contains 60% more C22:6n-3. Compared to sea bream, sea bass appears to be more suitable for the diet of people suffering from cardiac diseases, angiopathy, inflammations and Alzheimer’s disease