Studies on chemical composition of yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares , Bonnaterre, 1788) eye.

Chemical composition viz ., fatty acids, amino acids and minerals of yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares) eye were analyzed for better utilization of fish processing discards. Analysis of fatty acids composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids namely docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid and linoleic acid at the levels of 37.8, 7.1, 3.6 and 1.4%, respectively. The major available monounsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic acid and oleic acid were present at the level of 17.9 and 18.3% respectively. Myristic acid was the dominant saturated fatty acid and occupied 2% of the total fatty acids. Amino acid analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography showed that the tuna eye has a high concentration of glycine (19.24 mg/100 g) followed by glutamic acid (16 mg/100 g) and aspartic acid (12.76 mg/100 g). Analysis of mineral content of tuna eye showed the presence of higher sodium and lower copper content. The results revealed that yellowfin tuna eye could be used as a potential source of ω-3 fatty acids and essential amino acids.