Lipid Composition of the Tissues of Coregonus lavaretus L. of the Kola Peninsula

Abstract

The article presents the results of the investigation of the lipid composition of the muscle, liver and eggs of the whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L. of different age groups harvested from lakes Lovozero and Umbozero of the Kola Peninsula. The study of the lipid composition of the tissues to some extent allows evaluating the features of lipid metabolism and the physiological state of an organism. Lipids were extracted from the tissues applying Bligh – Dyer method. Fractional composition of lipids was determined using one-dimensional thin layer chromatography. Individual lipid fractions were determined by densitometry. The content of total lipids in the muscle tissue of mature whitefish from Umbozero Lake was lower than that of the whitefish from Lovozero Lake. With ageing, the content of phospholipids in the muscle tissue of the whitefish from Umbozero unlike the whitefish from Lovozero increases, but the content of triacylglycerols decreases, due to the lack of nutrition and active swimming of the whitefish in cold water of Umbozero Lake. The portion of triacylglycerols in the liver of the whitefish from Lovozero is higher than in the whitefish from Umbozero, which is probably related to the diet of the whitefish from Lovozero. In the whitefish eggs from the two reservoirs structural lipids are dominant and high content of cholesterol was identified. Molar ratio of CHS/PHL and PHCH/PHEA is lower in the whitefish from Umbozero compared to the whitefish from Lovozero, which should lead to an increase in the functional activity of membrane structures, lipid matrix fluidity and metabolism in the fish from Umbozero.