Positional distribution of ω3 Fatty acids in marine lipid triacylglycerols by high‐resolution¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

Abstract The positional distribution [α(1,3)‐acyl and ß(2)‐acyl] of ω3 fatty acids [18:4(n‐3), 20:4(n‐3), 20:5(n‐3), 22:5(n‐3) and 22:6(n‐3)] in depot fat of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ), harp seal oil and cod liver oil triacylglycerols has been examined by 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The positional distribution data can be defined from the spectrum of the carbonyl (C1 carbon) and the methylene (C2 and glyceryl carbon) regions. In depot fat of Atlantic salmon and cod liver oil, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was concentrated in the ß‐position of the triacylglycerides with 72.6 and 74.4%, respectively. Only 3.2% of DHA and 4.6% of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were esterified to the ß‐position of the triacylglycerides in harp seal oil. EPA is nearly randomly distributed in cod liver oil and muscle lipids of Atlantic salmon, with 37.8 and 39.7%, respectively, in the ß‐position. In general, the 13 C NMR‐derived data were in accordance with corresponding data reported in the literature obtained by conventional techniques.