High-Resolution H-1 Magic Angle Spinning NMR Spectroscopy of Intact Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus) Muscle. Quantitative Analysis of n-3 Fatty Acids, EPA and DHA

The lipid and small metabolite profiles from intact muscles of Arctic char were investigated using H-1 high-resolution magic angle spinning (H-1 HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Not only the total n-3 fatty acid content but also the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) contents of the muscle were obtained from the H-1 HR-MAS NMR spectra without pretreatment of the tissue or lipophilic extraction. A number of small metabolites could also be observed, where creatine/phosphocreatine, anserine and taurine were the most abundant. Thus, the use of H-1 HR-MAS NMR led to simplified analysis techniques that can give direct information on the nutritional value of the fish.