How does the Fish Roe Metabolome Compare to that of Sturgeon Caviar using NMR-based Metabolomics? A Case Study from the Mediterranean Sea

Objective Caviar and fish roe are considered valuable marine-derived foods with high nutritional and economic importance. Material and Methods 1 H-NMR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis was employed to profile the metabolic composition of roe from Sparidae, Sepiidae, Moronidae, and Portunidae in comparison with commercial sturgeon and salmonid caviar. Results The analysis revealed that lipids, particularly lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), acylglycerides, and fatty acids, were the predominant constituents across all samples, whereas organic acids were detected at significantly lower levels. Distinct differences were observed between commercial caviar and wild roe samples, including the detection of benzoic and citric acids only in commercial products, likely reflecting the addition of preservatives. Multivariate analysis effectively discriminated roe samples by species and, in the case of Sparidae and Sepiidae, by sex. Conclusion 1 H-NMR-based metabolomics provides a powerful approach for evaluating roe authenticity, detecting processing-related additives, and highlighting nutritional diversity among marine species.