Fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of some Turkish fish species

Abstract

It is well known that fish lipids are effective against cardiovascular diseases due to their high contents of polyunsaturated omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids. In order to determine a suitable fish diet, the fatty acid compositions and total lipid and cholesterol contents of 9 common fish species obtained from the central fish market in Istanbul were determined. Palmitic (C-16:0) and oleic acid (C-18:1) were the predominant saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. The predominant polyunsaturated fatty acids were eicosapentaenoic (C-20:5) acid and docosahexaenoic (C-22:6) acid. The amounts of cholesterol in fish lipids did not differ significantly. Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and mackerel (Scomber scombrus) were found to be the most suitable pelagic species for a preventive diet. Of the groundfishes, only red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) were found to be suitable.