Seasonal changes on total fatty acid composition of carp (Cyprinus carpio L. ), in vriz Dam Lake, Turkey

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 9 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 wasthe 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 3, linoleic acid C18:2 6 and eicosapentaenoic acid C20:5 3 were the highest levels among the PUFAs. The percentages of 3 fatty acid were higher than those of total 6 fatty acid in the fatty acid composition of carp. In the present study, 3/6 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