FATTY-ACID PROFILES OF MAJOR FOOD SOURCES OF HOWLER MONKEYS (ALOUATTA-PALLIATA) IN THE NEOTROPICS

Wild howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) get most of their calories fro m carbohydrates (65%) and fats (18%) of native tropical plants, but li ttle is known about their intake of individual fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of several natural food sources of howler monkeys col lected in Panama was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The pred ominant fatty acids were palmitic (30%), linoleic (23%), alpha-linolen ic (16%) and oleic (15%). Fatty acids with less than 16, and more than 18, carbon chains were uncommon (0-7%). Although total saturated fatt y acids were high in some specific food sources (22-54% of total fatty acids and 8 energy %), most of the calories from fat in the animals' diets are derived from mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (9.75 ene rgy %.) All food sources had significant amounts of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (2.9 energy %). In terms of human diets, th e howler monkey's fat consumption would not be considered atherogenic. Unless these animals show a particular adverse susceptibility to diet ary fat, it is unlikely that their fat intake is the primary cause of the low, but significant, incidence of atherosclerosis that develops i n these animals in the wild state.