Lipid traits and dietary quality of sea bass fillets from Orbetello

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of obtaining: a) reliable estimates of sea bass fillet weight and lipid/fatty acid content from simple non destructive morphometric measurements; b) estimates of healthy eating quality evaluation from effects of consumption on blood biomarkers related to atherosclerotic/thrombogenic processes. A series of parameters were measured in 708 fish. Estimates of fillet weight from b.w. and max. thickness (R-2=0.96, rsd=+/- 20.55g) and of lipid content from b.w., total length, max. thickness and condition factor (R-2=0.69, rsd=+/- 3.3g) were found to be very reliable; flesh n-3 PUFA and EPA content were also estimated from condition factor and max. girth (R-2=0.32, rsd=+/- 0.42g; R-2=0.38, rsd=+/- 0.13g). Flesh healthy eating quality was evaluated from changes in blood biomarkers (lipid profile, inflammatory markers, haemorheological profile) in dyslipidemic subjects who had eaten fillets three times a week for 10 weeks. A weekly flesh intake of 807g increased erythrocyte n-3 PUFA (P<0.05) and decreased triglycerides (P<0.008), interleukin-6 (P<0.03), interleukin-8 (P<0.04), Whole Blood Viscosity(20.400) (P<0.04) and erythrocyte filtration (P<0.008). Short term intake of sea bass therefore seemed associated with favourable biochemical changes in dyslipidemic subjects, as reflected by lower circulating levels of markers of atherosclerosis.