Slaughter yield and dietary value of wild and cultured vendace (Coregonus albula)

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.