Comparative study on fatty acids and ether lipids of fresh and sun-dried Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus)

The lipids, fatty acids and 1-O-alkylglycerols (glycerol ethers) compositio n of fresh and sun-dried Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus) were estimated. In both types of fishes, palmitic (16:0), palmitoleic (16:1) and oleic acids (18:1) were the predominant fatty acids and the fishes contained significan t quantities of the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). viz., eico sapentaenoic (20:5 omega 3) and docosahexaenoic acids (22:6 omega 3). They also contained higher levels of 1-O-alkylglycerols. in which chimyl alcohol (16:0), batyl alcohol (18:0) and 20:0 alcohol were predominant. After sun- drying no significant alterations in the lipid profile in these fishes were observed. However, in sun-dried fish, proportions of 22:6 fatty acid decre ased. Inspite of this decrease, sun-dried samples retained 68.9% of the ini tial amount of omega 3 PUFA.