Fatty acid composition of some South African fresh-water fish

Because of the antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory proper­ ties of the n-3 fatty acids, eicosapenta-enoic acid (EPA) and docosahexa-enoic acid (DHA), which are found in large quan­ tities in marine fish, the fatty acid composition of the flesh. of 18 different species of fresh-water fish found in South Afnca 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. S AIr Med J 1989; 76: 368-370.