title: Fatty acid composition of some South African fresh-water fish.
abstract: Because of the antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties of the n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found in large quantities in marine fish, the fatty acid composition of the flesh of 18 different species of fresh-water fish found in South Africa was analysed by capillary gas chromatography. In general all the fish studied had low percentages of EPA and DHA and fairly high percentages of arachidonic acid and linoleic acid when compared with some marine fish. The saturated fats constituted 33% of total fatty acids and the mono-enes averaged 35%. The fish studied are therefore not as good a source of n-3 fatty acids as marine fish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, School of Pathology, South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chetty
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Reavis
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Immelman
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van As
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000378:metabolism; D002347:Carps / Q000378:metabolism; D002397:Catfishes / Q000378:metabolism; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005618:Fresh Water; D013019:South Africa; D014337:Trout / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid