Seasonal variation in the fatty acid composition and quality of sardine oil from Sardinops sagax caeruleus of the Gulf of California.

One of the few sources of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is fish oil, but considerable variation may exist according to species and season. In this study, the fatty acid profiles of sardine oils from Sardinops sagax caeruleus of the Gulf of California, Mexico, were evaluated in three seasonal catch periods. Oil quality was also evaluated by peroxide and free acid values.