characteristic and physiological functon of fish muscle components

 C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s   a n d   P h y s i o l o g i c a l   F u n c t i o n   o f   F i s h   M u s c l e   C o m p o n e n t s:
 
Structural and nutritional properties of fish muscle components, mainly of lipids are
described. Usually, lipid contents are higher in red muscle fish, pelagic fish like sardine
and mackerel, than in white muscle fish, higher in dark muscle than in ordinary muscle,
and higher in the ventral part than in the dorsal part of the fish body. Fish lipid content
varies widely with environmental conditions, and in inverse proportion to water content.
Most fish contain primarily  triglycerides, although some exceptions are found, such as
ether lipids, wax esters and hydrocarbons in  elasmobranch fish and / or in deep-sea fish.
A large proportion of long chain, n-3 and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) in
triglycerides is a characteristic of aquatic organisms. The physiological effects of the
HUFA on thrombosis,  carcinogenesis ,  inflammation and on learning ability, and finally
non-enzymatic formation of prostaglandin-like substances from the HUFA are reviewed