Lipid composition of two purgative fish: Ruvettus pretiosus and Lepidocybium flavobrunneum

• Main Authors: M. C. Pérez Zara, V. Ruiz Gutiérrez, L. Bravo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 1993-02-01
• Series: Grasas y Aceites
• Subjects: information (paper); lepidocybium flavobrunneum; lipid composition; purgative fish; ruvettus pretiosus
• Online Access: http://grasasyaceites.revistas.csic.es/index.php/grasasyaceites/article/view/1120

A review is made on the literature conceming the lipid composition of two fish belonging to PERCIFORMES order, Gempylidae family, Ruvettus pretiosus and Lepidocybium flavobrunneum. The lipid fraction is principally composed of wax esters (esters of fatty acid with long chain fatty alcohols), as well as phospholipids, triglycerides, hydrocarbons and sterols. The lipid extracted from these fish is traditionally used in consideration of its purgative properties in fishing villages from islands like Canarias. In Japanese markets, this fish can be found as a fraudulent substitute of other edible fish. It seems that the toxic-laxative properties are due to the large amount of wax esters in its lipid fraction.