ABSTRACT
National Institute of Biological Resources, INRB, I.P./L-IPIMAR, Avenida Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal.
Fish is the staple food in many countries. Indeed, fi sh products are a very important source of nutritive, pleasant, and healthy food. Precious nutritive components are found in fi sh, mainly, vitamins, minerals, proteins with a balanced amino acid profi le and it is readily digestible (Borderías et al. 2005), full of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFA), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA (20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid or DHA (22:6ω3). Some of these nutrients are considered functional ingredients, given their positive effect in the regular physiological functioning of the human organism and, even in disease prevention. In fact, several epidemiological studies (Simopoulos 2002) have found a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke and consequent further effects due to the benefi cial effects of ω3-PUFA on lipids, namely cholesterol, blood pressure and eicosanoid levels as well as on the coagulation rate. Hence, for the primary prevention, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a daily intake (RDI) of 500 mg EPA+DHA (Kris-Etherton et al. 2002).
