Effect of Cooking Methods on Proximate Composition, Fatty Acid Composition, and Cholesterol Content of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

The effects of different cooking methods (baking, steaming, grilling, and microwaving) on proximate composition, fatty acid composition, and cholesterol contents of salmon were investigated. The moisture, protein, lipid, and ash contents of raw salmon were 61.07 +/- 0.63, 20.28 +/- 0.06, 17.23 +/- 0.73, and 1.23 +/- 0.08 (% wet weight), respectively. The proximate composition and energy values of the cooked salmon compared to raw salmon were significantly affected by cooking methods (p < 0.05). Salmon is one of the richest sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Cooking methods did not have a significant change (p > 0.05) on fatty acids composition. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in cholesterol content of cooked salmon. Essential n-3 PUFAs, namely EPA and DHA, were higher in the grilled and oven baked salmon. Therefore, grilling and oven baking were found to be the best cooking methods concerning omega-3/omega-6 ratio compared to the microwave and steam cooking methods.