Dados do Trabalho

Título

Effect of adding biquinho pepper (Capsicum chinense) against the degradation of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in canned sardines (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum, 1792)

Introdução

Canned sardines are known for their rich nutritional composition that is mainly attributed to the significant content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from the omega-3 family, such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), which are essential for human health. However, these compounds are susceptible to oxidation during processing due to exposure to high temperatures, resulting in the degradation of essential lipids. Thus, antioxidant additives are commonly used to minimize lipid degradation processes. As biquinho pepper (BP, Capsicum chinense) is a
natural source rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties, the effectiveness of adding BP sauce at different concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%) into canned sardines (Sardina pilchardus) to minimize the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids was investigated.

Material e Métodos

Canned sardines were produced by Nova Piracema (RJ, Brazil), according to its standard procedures. BP sauces were added to the cans, followed by the sardines. Then, the cans were sent to the production line. To determine the fatty acid composition, the muscle lipids were subjected to transesterification and analyzed by a gas chromatograph (Shimadzu GC 2010, Tokyo, Japan), equipped with a split injector and a flame ionization detector (FID). The identification of chromatographic peaks was carried out by comparing them with the retention times of FAME (fatty acids methyl esters) standards and quantification was performed by internal standardization using undecanoic methyl ester (C11).

Resultados e Discussão

The main fatty acids found in control samples were C16:0, C18:2ω6cis, C18:1ω9c, C16:1, and C14:0. The PUFA contents of sardines added with pepper sauce at 2, 4, and 6% (from 32.95 ± 0.89 to 34.09 ± 0.49) did not show statistical differences (p > 0.05); however, they were higher than the levels determined for the control samples (27.46 ± 0.11 g/100 g). The sums of EPA and DHA were lower in control sardine samples (5.52 ± 0.13 g/100 g) than those added with peppers (8.55 ± 0.14 to 11.57 ± 0.17 g/100 g).

Conclusão

Thus, these results demonstrate that the use of biquinho pepper in canned sardines mitigated the oxidative process of lipids, protecting unsaturated fatty acids from degradation, mainly PUFAs.