FATTY ACID PROFILE AND MONTHLY VARIATION OF TOTAL FATTY ACID AND LIPID OBTAINED FROM THE OIL OF STRIPED SNAKEHEAD CHANNA STRIATA

Objective: This project was taken up for a period of two years to assess the nutritional capacity of Channa striata, which is consumed as a cheap, nutritious food in most parts of India and East Asian countries by determining its fatty acid profile and monthly variation of lipid and fatty acid in its most edible part. Methods: Total lipid was extracted by conventional methods laid down by Folch and his associates and was then saponified to obtain the total fatty acid. The fatty acid mixture thus obtained was then converted to their methyl esters and was subjected to Gas Chromatograph using a flame ionization detector to detect the individual fatty acids. Results: Our investigation shows that the total lipid and fatty acid in the edible part dip to its minimum in the month of July, as one should expect during the breeding season because the stored lipid, as well as fatty acids, are mobilized to the gonads for their development during the reproductive season which is monsoon. C. striata contain more of MUFAs (64.34%) and PUFAs (16.21%), which are more beneficial to human health than SFAs (12.5%), which are most hazardous to health. Conclusion: C. striata can definitely be marked as a cheap, nutritious food source, with its share of negativity. Our work will surely enlighten future works on this species in the spheres of preservation, organized farming, and maintaining the biodiversity of the place where it thrives