Screening of Lesser-Known Salted-Dried Fish Species for Fatty Acids, Tocols, and Squalene

The fillets and roes of 29 species of dry-salted fishes consumed in Eurasian countries were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs), tocols, and squalene, looking for derived health benefits. FAs were analyzed by GC-FID, and tocols and squalene were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. With some exceptions, docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6 -3), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 -3), and arachidonic (ARA, 20:4 -6) acids were the prominent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The fillets of reached the highest amounts of total FAs, ARA, and DHA (23.1, 1.82, and 2.49 mg/100 g). The fillets of showed the highest percentages of DHA (34.4% of total FAs). Nutritional quality indices for fish lipids were favorable in all samples, especially the -6/ -3 PUFA ratio, which was below 1 in most cases. α-Tocopherol was found in all fillets and roes, especially in Cyprinidae and Pleuronectidae species, and the highest value was found in the roes of (5.43 mg/100 g). Most samples contained tocotrienols at trace levels. The fillets of contained the highest amounts of squalene (1.83 mg/100 g). Overall, dry-salted fish stand out due to their high concentrations of ARA, EPA, and DHA, as well as for α-tocopherol concentrations in roes.