Abstract

Oil was extracted from dog fish (Squalus acanthias) livers by the Bligh and Dyer, Soxhlet and steaming extraction methods. Oil yields using the steaming method (22% ) were lower than from the solvent extraction methods (68% ). The vitamin A content of the oil produced by steaming was 54 mg retinol/100 g oil, and slightly higher (62–68 mg/100 g) contents were recorded in the solvent extracted oils.

The Bligh and Dyer extraction produced an oil containing 12% phospholipid, much higher than the 4% via the Soxhlet and 1 % in the steaming extractions. The level of squalene (40 mg/100 g) in the oil produced by steaming was higher than in the other oils (28 and 32 mg). Concentrations of vitamin E and cholesterol were similar in all three oils at approximately 25 mg tocopherol/100 g and 1.1 g cholesterol/100 g, respectively.

Oils were stored under air at room temperature in half filled dark coloured bottles. Although highest PVs were observed in the stored Bligh and Dyer-extracted oils, the highest apparent loss of vitamin A (30% in 3 weeks) occurred in the oil extracted by steaming.