| Abstract: | The effect of domestic pan‐frying in virgin olive oil (VOO) on the proximate composition, energy content, cholesterol, squalene and fatty acids in the edible portion of six species of finfish, common squid and mussels just caught from several regions of the Aegean Sea (Mediterranean Sea) was investigated. The species selected are traditionally consumed pan‐fried in VOO by the Greeks. On a fresh weight basis, pan‐frying caused significant water loss and increase of total fat, crude protein and energy content. The amount of VOO absorbed during frying ranged from 4.5 to 14.2% of fresh matter, showing a non‐linear negative correlation with initial fat, fish length and fish weight. Cholesterol content increased from 25 to 106 mg 100 g?1 fresh weight (fw) to 33–130 mg 100 g?1 fw after frying. VOO absorbed during frying resulted in a 20–78 times increase of squalene content and in significant alteration of fatty acid composition, the major change being the increase of monounsaturated fatty acids which became predominant in all fried samples. The intakes of fat and major fatty acid classes by consuming the pan‐fried seafood were comparable with the respective average Greek values. Frying in VOO resulted in a two to three times decrease of the atherogenic index and a slightly less decrease of the thrombogenic index. Both indices remained lower than 0.45 in all fried samples. The cholesterol‐saturated fat index and the cholesterol index increased up to twice after frying, ranging between 3.4–9.9 and 2.9–9.3, respectively. From the results obtained it is concluded that fish and shellfish pan‐fried in VOO present a healthy lipid profile in terms of the n‐6/n‐3 ratio, major fatty acid classes and total fat content. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry |
