Abstract

 The effects of seasonal variation on the fatty acid composition of carps Cyprinus carpio were determined. A total of 38 different fatty acids were determined in the composition of carps. There were quantitative differences between fatty acids in muscle tissue investigated, depending on the season. Oleic acid C18:1 ω9 was the major monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) in all seasons. Palmitic acid C16:0 was identified as the major saturated fatty acid (SFA) in four seasons. Palmitoleic acid C16:1 was the third highest fatty acid in total fatty acids. MUFAs were found to be higher than SFAs and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in all seasons. Docosahexaenoic acid C22:6 ω3, linoleic acid C18:2 ω6 and eicosapentaenoic acid C20:5 ω3 were the highest levels among the PUFAs. The percentages of ω3 fatty acid were higher than those of total ω6 fatty acid in the fatty acid composition of carp. In the present study, ω3/ω6 ratios were found to be 1.08, 1.43, 1.64 and 1.60 in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. C. carpio may be a valuable food for human consumption in terms of fatty acids.

Key words: Fatty acid composition, seasonal changes, freshwater fish, Turkey. 

Abbreviation

LC ω3 PUFA, Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids;MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acid; SFA, saturated fatty acid; PUFAs,polyunsaturated fatty acids; EPA, eicosapentaenoic; DHA, docosahexaenoic; EFAs,essential fatty acids; LA, linoleic acid; FAMEs, fatty acid methyl esters; GC, gas chromatograph.