DNA Barcoding and Analysis of Nutritional Properties as a Tool for Enhancing Traceability of Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus L.) Fished in the Italian Southern Adriatic Sea

Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus L.) are a component of the Mediterraneandiet and among the most fi shed species. Despite Italian consumers showing a strongpreference and willingness to pay more for locally caught anchovies, cases of mislabelingwith non-local or different species have been documented. Molecular techniques likeDNA barcoding offer reliable species identifi cation, even in processed products, wheremorphological traits are no longer detectable. This pilot study applied a DNA barcodingtechnique targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to authenticate anchovies caughtin the Italian Southern Adriatic Sea. Objectives: The study evaluated seasonal variations inthe chemical and nutritional composition of anchovies, particularly the fatty acid profi les,highlighting their health benefi ts. Methods: During 2021, two fi sh samplings of anchovieswere conducted per season from two fi shing areas in Southern Adriatic Sea, one sample wasused for mitochondrial DNA analyses, the other was used for morphometric measurements,physical, bromatological and chemical analyses. Results: Fish collected in summer showedhigher total weight and edible yield relative to those fi shed in winter( p < 0.05). Anchoviesfi shed in summer contained the highest concentration of proteins( p < 0.05) as compared tothose caught during winter and autumn, while, in turn, they showed the highest amountof fat (p < 0.01). Fillets from anchovies fi shed during spring and summer containedagreater (p < 0.05) concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and n-3 fatty acids thansamples collected in autumn and winter. Conclusions: This study paves the way for furtherinvestigation to refi ne and validate the genetic identifi cation and nutritional featuresofanchovies caught in the Italian Southern Adriatic Sea and marketed to consumers.