INVESTIGATION OF THE COMPONENT FATTY ACIDS OF SOME FRESHWATER FISHES COMMON IN NIGERIA AND A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THEIR NUTRITIONAL QUALITY WITH THOSE OF MARINE FISHES

📄 Project Abstract

In the process of exploiting the economic potentials of fish as a source of quality protein among others, adequate identification and characterisation of the diverse fatty acids components of the fish species is very necessary. Therefore, the fatty acids compositions of freshwater fishes (Hyperopisus bebe, Mormyrus rume, Mormyrops anguilloides, Oreochromis niloticus, Sarotherodon galilaeus, Clarias gariepinus, Clarias anguillaris, Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Lates niloticus, Clariheterobranchus and Hydrocynus forskali) was studied and compared with that of the twelve marine species. The fatty acids were determined by GC-MS and were identified using retention time locked methods and retention time databases. The fatty acids profiles include minor amounts of odd-number, branched-chain, and even-number fatty acids as well as saturated components, the MUFA and PUFA. The major SFA were C14:0 and C16:0. The C18:1 was the prominent MUFA. The dominant PUFA are of the Omega-6 series and are foun...