Abstract
This study focused on comparing slaughter yield, proximate composition, and fatty acid profiles of meat from wild vendace, Coregonus albula L. caught in natural conditions (lakes; group W) and from cultured vendace reared on formulated feed in recirculating systems (group C). The slaughter yield of gutted vendace (group C) was approximately 2% higher that the value determined in group W (P ≤ 0.05). Carcasses of cultured fish contained 2.5 times more fat in comparison to fish from group W (11.12 vs 4.86%), which was compensated for by water content. No differences in protein content were noted among groups (P > 0.05). The relative combined share of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in carcasses of fish from group C were significantly higher (49.98 vs 31.53% of total fatty acids (tFA)); however, the share of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including n-3 PUFA, was lower at 18.55 vs 24.71% tFA and 8.36 vs 14.89% tFA (P ≤ 0.05), respectively. As a result of these lipid content values, the levels of the eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA; 22:6n-3) acids and n-3 PUFA and PUFA, expressed in mg 100 g−1 carcass, in cultured vendace carcasses were significantly higher than those in the meat of wild vendace.