Análisis del contenido de ácidos grasos y estimación de índices de calidad nutricional en conservas de atún

RESUMEN Los alimentos de origen marino se caracterizan en general por su alto contenido en ácidos eicosapentaenoico (EPA) y docosahexaenoico (DHA), dos ácidos grasos poliinsaturados de la familia n-3 con funciones esenciales en el organismo humano. En Chile, las conservas de pescado, entre ellas el atún enlatado, son una de las formas principales de consumo de alimentos del mar. En este trabajo se analizaron los perfiles de ácidos grasos y se estimaron varios índices de calidad nutricional de distintas conservas de lomos de atún en agua y en aceite vegetal disponibles en supermercados de Santiago de Chile. Las cantidades de EPA+DHA encontradas oscilaron entre 184 y 310 mg/100 g y entre 110 y 336 mg/100 g en las conservas de atún en agua y en aceite, respectivamente. El ácido graso más abundante en las conservas de atún en agua fue el DHA, mientras que en las conservas en aceite fue el ácido linoleico, perteneciente a la familia n-6. Los índices de calidad lipídica del pescado (FLQ) y aterogénico (IA) fueron más altos en las conservas de atún en agua que en las de atún en aceite, mientras que la relación ácidos grasos hipocolesterolémicos/hipercolesterolémicos (HH) presentó valores mayores en el atún enlatado en aceite. El índice trombogénico (IT) fue en general más alto en las conservas de atún en aceite.

ABSTRACT Foods from marine origin are known to have a high content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two polyunsaturated fatty acids from the n-3 family with essential roles in the human organism. Canned fish, including tuna, is one of the main formats to consume marine foods in Chile. In this work, samples of canned tuna in water and in oil available in supermarkets of Santiago de Chile were analysed to elucidate their fatty acid composition and to estimate several indexes of nutritional quality related to the lipid fraction of such foods. The amounts of EPA+DHA ranged between 184 and 310 mg/100 g and between 110 and 336 mg/100 g for canned tuna in water and oil, respectively. DHA was the most abundant fatty acid in canned tuna in water, whereas linolenic acid (an n-6 fatty acid) was found to be the most abundant in canned tuna in oil. The Fish Lipid Quality (FLQ) and atherogenic index (AI) reached higher values in canned tuna in water than in canned tuna in oil, whereas the ratio hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (HH) was higher in canned tuna in oil. The thrombogenic index (TI) was generally higher for canned tuna in oil.

Presence of microplastics in commercial canned tuna.

The present study aims to determine the presence of synthetic polymeric microparticles (MPs) in samples of canned tuna. An analysis procedure of these microparticles was developed and tested. Four brands of tuna marketed in Ecuador canned both in water and oil were analysed. A significant presence of MPs was found: 692 ± 120 MPs/100 g of tuna in water and 442 ± 84 MPs/100 g of tuna in oil. Random samples of the liquid covering the tuna fish in the cans showed 6 MPs/mL in the case of water and 5 MPs/mL in the case of oil-containing samples. A total of 90% of the reported particles presented a size range of 1-50 µm. The number of MPs present in canned tuna suggests that the ingredients and inputs of the canning process greatly contribute to micro polymers. The identification of the microparticles using fluorescence and micro-FTIR spectrometry revealed that PET, polystyrene and nylon were the most frequent MPs present in the samples analysed.

Lipid profile and high contents of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in different commercial brands of canned tuna.

Canned fish is submitted to processes that may degrade its lipids and form harmful compounds called cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). Samples of Brazilian commercial canned tuna were analyzed to evaluate the influence of different liquid mediums (oil and brine) on the fatty acid composition and formation of COPs. The exchange between fish lipids and the constituents of the covering liquid was highlighted by the high levels of linoleic acid found in tuna conserved in oil. High amounts of COPs were found. However, higher contents of COPs were found in tuna in brine (933.14 to 1914.23 µg/g) than in oil (698.24 to 1167.88 µg/g). This result was mainly promoted by the presence of pro-oxidant elements such as salt, as well as greater heat transfer in brine than in oil. This study showed that canned tuna is a potential source of exogenous COPs, indicating the role of liquid mediums in oxidative processes.

Data on metals, nonmetal, and metalloid in the samples of the canned tuna and canned sardines sold in Brazil.

The safety of food is a matter of global concern today. Continuous monitoring of canned tuna and canned sardines quality is essential regarding metal, nonmetal, and metalloid content. In this article, we present the data on the elemental content obtained in canned tuna and canned sardines by using inductively coupled plasma optical spectrometry (ICP OES), as well as the data on Pollution Index (PI) and Health Risk Index (HRI). Pollution index and health risk index are tools used to assess elemental contamination in the environment and food. A total of 6 metals (Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, and Zn), one nonmetal (Se), and one metalloid (As) were quantified in the samples of the canned tuna and canned sardines. For elements as Al, Cu, Fe, and Se, PI > 1. In addition, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb have PI values less than 1. The HRI values for some canned tuna samples were above 1 for elements such as Al, Ba, Ca, and As. For canned sardines, the elements Cr, Ni, and As showed HRI values >1.

Health Risks Associated with Heavy Metals in Imported Fish in a Coastal City in Colombia.

Colombia is a fish exporter and consumer country because of its geographical location. Since 2012, imported fish have become a more economical option than domestic species due to free trade agreements. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn were evaluated in three imported and highly commercialized fish species in a city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia: Prochilodus lineatus, Prochilodus reticulatus, and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, plus one brand of canned tuna and one brand of sardines. The canned species showed the highest values for Pb, Cd, and Zn; canned tuna (oil-packed) contained 0.189 ± 0.047 mg/kg Pb and 238.93 ± 76.43 mg/kg Zn, while canned sardines contained 0.111 ± 0.099 mg/kg Cd, suggesting a relationship between the canning process and the metal concentrations. The estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) suggested that there is no risk for consumer health in the short term, but the presence of these heavy metals certainly should be a concern in the long term because of the bioaccumulation phenomenon due to the high intake of these fish species in this coastal and tourist community. It is recommended that continuous monitoring of heavy metal concentrations take place to protect communities in a local and global context.

Assessment of human health risk associated with methylmercury in the imported fish marketed in the Caribbean.

The decline in marine and freshwaters catches in recent years in Colombia has led to a change in dietary habits, with an increase in the purchase and consumption of imported fish. This is of particular concern as fish are sometimes caught in mercury-contaminated waters, and are subsequently sold canned or uncanned. In addition, canned tuna has received little attention as it is widely assumed that concentrations are low. In this study, total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were evaluated in three imported fish species marketed in Colombia, Prochilodus lineatus, Prochilodus reticulatus, and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, plus four brands of canned tuna and one of sardines. One brand of tuna showed the highest mean concentrations of THg (0.543 ±â€¯0.237 µg/g, wet weight, ww) and MeHg (0.518 ±â€¯0.337 µg/g ww), while concentrations in P. hypophthalmus were approximately 30 times lower (≈0.02 µg/g ww). The estimated weekly intake (EWI) in children was above the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of MeHg established by the Joint FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2007, 1.6 µg/kg body weight (bw) per week, for all the canned tuna brands. Values for adults were below PTWI, whereas for women of childbearing age, values were above PTWI only for brand D of canned tuna. The estimate of the potential risk indicated that MeHg levels in canned tuna can generate negative effects in vulnerable groups, while the EWI of fresh fish did not pose a threat to the general population. Therefore, establishing strategies to address the high consumption of canned tuna, and continuous monitoring to control commercial food, are recommended to decrease Hg exposure.

Cadmium, lead, tin, total mercury, and methylmercury in canned tuna commercialised in São Paulo, Brazil.

The objective of this work was to determine levels of inorganic contaminants in 30 samples of five commercial brands of canned tuna, acquired on the local market in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in the year of 2015. Total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg+) were determined by atomic absorption with thermal decomposition and amalgamation; and cadmium, lead, and tin were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results indicated that 20% of the tuna samples surpassed limits determined by the Brazilian and European Commission legislation for cadmium; for lead, the maximum value found was 59 µg kg-1 and tin was not detected in any samples. The maximum values found for total Hg and MeHg+ were 261 and 258 µg kg-1, respectively. As from the results obtained, it was estimated that the consumption of four cans per week (540 g) of tuna canned in water could surpass the provisional tolerable monthly intake for MeHg+ by 100%.

Avaliação da concentração de arsênio, cádmio e chumbo em amostras de atum enlatadas, comercializadas na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, RJ / Determination of arsenic, cadmium and lead in samples of canned tuna commercialized in Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Atualmente, a população brasileira tem sido muito incentivada a consumir peixes ou outros frutos do mar, por serem alimentos que trazem benefícios importantes para a saúde humana, principalmente à dos adultos. Entretanto, em contrapartida aos benefícios, estes alimentos estão mais sujeitos a contaminação por substâncias químicas que são, altamente, prejudiciais à saúde. Dentre essas substâncias incluem-se o arsênio, que tem sua atividade carcinogênica já comprovada, o cádmio e o chumbo, que afetam o sistema nervoso central. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo determinar as concentrações de As, Cd e Pb, em amostras de atum enlatado e, simultaneamente, avaliar as variações que ocorrem, nestas concentrações, em função dos diferentes tipos de produtos disponíveis no mercado nacional.(...)(AU)

There are little data and advisories for arsenic, cadmium and lead in wild fish, but far fewer for commercial fish that compose the large majority of the fish most people eat. Until recently, relatively little attention has been devoted to examining As, Cd, Pb in canned tuna, despite its great importance in Brazilian diets, as it is considered to bring many benefits for the health. However, this kind of food is highly subjected to contamination by extremely toxic elements. The main inorganic elements that may contaminate this food are arsenic, cadmium and lead, which have been considered as some of the most toxicants elements as well as harmful to people' s health. The objective of this work is to study concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb in canned tuna and to study parameters conditions that can alter these concentrations. Graphite fumace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) was the technique chosen by the inorganic contamination laboratory of Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde (INCQS/ FIOCRUZ) for detection and quantification of arsenic, cadmium and lead in canned tuna. The obtained results for arsenic is 0,1 - 1,0 mg Kg -I, and the concentration for cadmium and lead is low of the limit of detection, with the exception of tree sample which obtained results for lead between 0,1 e 0,2 mg Kg -I. The result for repeatability and reproducibility (precision} for As, Cd and Pb is less than 15%, and recuperation ranging from 85 to 104%. Ali samples presented results lower than the maximum limit values established by the legal Brazilian regulations. (AU)