Consumption of fish lipids, more precisely omcga-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has prophylactic cITccts minimizing the development of a number of chronic degenerative diseases. In this study, fatly acid profiles and the content of fatty acids of forty small pelagic fish species in Sri Lanka svcrc studied by gas chromatography.
The more abundant fatty acids svcrc myristic acid (C 14:0), palmitic acid (C 16:0). palmilolcic acid (C 16:1), stearic acid (C 18:0). oleic acid (C 18:1), cicosapcntacnoic acid (C 20:5 n- 3, EPA) and docosahcxacnoic acid (C 22:6 n-3, DBA), but the most predominant fatty acid was palmitic acid svhich contributed to 20-39% of (he total fatly acids. Saturated fatty acids svcrc the largest group iu the total fatly acid profile while content oT mono-unsaturated fatty acids svas much losvcr. roly-unsaturated fatty acid content svas intermediate.
In most species studied, the total amount of omcga-3 PUFA contributed nearly 90% of the total PUFAs. The most important omega-3 PUFAs, namely EPA and DBA contributed to 85% nf the total omcga-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The total omcga-3 PUFA contents oT thirty six fish, out n( forty species, svcrc higher than 20% nf total fatty acids and indicating that the lipids of small pelagic fish species can provide greater health benefit.