title: Fatty acid composition and arachidonic acid intake of selected Saudi foods.
abstract: Twenty-eight Saudi Arabian common foods were analyzed for their fatty acid contents by gas-liquid chromatography using capillary column. The predominant fatty acids were oleic, palmitic, linoleic and stearic acids. The polyunsaturated to saturated fats ratio (P:S) as well as the n-3:n-6 ratio were generally not compatible with recommended values. Assessment of C20:4 (n-6) content in those foods showed a noticeable variation ranging from 9 mg/100 gm in beef sirloin to 256 mg/100 g in kannad fish. Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5) n-3 content was highest in kannad (925 mg/100 g). Applying C20:4 (n-6) values determined in this work to Saudi Balanced Sheet, the mean C20:4 (n-6) intake for a Saudian was estimated as approximately 115 mg/day.
authors.affiliation: Food Science and Nutrition Department, College of Agriculture, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: al-Khalifa
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: al-Othman
mesh_terms: D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004435:Eating; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis*; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D012529:Saudi Arabia
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated