RT - Journal TY - JOUR A1 - Ejike, Chukwunonso A1 - Mbaraonye, Onyedikachi A1 - Enyinnaya, Ebere T1 - Fatty acid saturation profiles and lipid contents of muscles from six popular culinary fish species sold in Umuahia, Nigeria YR - 2015/7/1 JF - Journal of Medical Nutrition and Nutraceuticals JO - J Med Nutr Nutraceut SP - 91 OP - 94 VO - 4 IS - 2 UL - http://www.jmnn.org/article.asp?issn=2278-1870;year=2015;volume=4;issue=2;spage=91;epage=94;aulast=Ejike;t=5 DO - 10.4103/2278-019X.151807 N2 - Introduction: Fish oils, containing mainly poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are reported to be nutri-medically beneficial. There is however little or no data on the lipid contents of, and fatty acids present in, culinary fish species consumed in Umuahia, Nigeria, hence this study. Methods: The fatty acid saturation profiles and lipid contents of Scomberomorus maculatus (Mitchill, 1815), Micropogonias undulatus (Linnaeus 1766), Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacépède: 1803), Trichiurus japonicus (Temminck and Schlegel, 1844), Sardinella pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), and Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1836), all culinary fishes consumed in Umuahia were studied using standard procedures. Results: C. nigrodigitatus had the highest crude lipid content (21.1 ± 1.1%) followed by S. pilchardus (20.4 ± 0.6%) and P. lineatus (20.1 ± 1.0%). S. maculatus and T. japonicus had the lowest crude lipid content (~13.3% each). PUFA were most abundant in S. maculatus (40.5 ± 0.4%) and T. japonicus (39.9 ± 0.5%), but least abundant in S. pilchardus and C. nigrodigitatus (~6.0% each). Linolenic and palmitic acids were the most abundant PUFA and saturated fatty acid, respectively, in the studied fish species. Conclusion: S. maculatus and T. japonicus are the most nutri-medically desirable fishes of the six studied species. ER -