Chemical composition of body including fatty acids of four cyprinids fish species cultured at the same conditions

SUMMARY Chemical composition of meat including fatty acids of four two-years old cyprinid fish species cultured at the same conditions was compared in this study. Samples of two-years old common carp, silver carp, grass carp and tench were taken in the winter time from a pond where the production is taken place in the semi-intensive system of production. Moisture content was 77.6±0.41 in tench, 77.00±0.36 in silver carp, 76.22±1.03 in grass carp, and 75.02±0.29 in common carp (p<0.01). The amount of protein was 18.02±0.15 in the fillets of silver carp, 15.59±0.21 in carp, 14.8±0.08 in tench and 14.68±0.12 in grass carp fillets (p<0.01). Fat percentage in the fillets of silver carp, tench, grass carp and common carp was, respectively, 4.07±0.05; 5.78±0.11; 6.39±0.24 and 6.85±0.14 (p<0.01). Ash content in percentage was 0.84±0.03 for grass carp, 0.89±0.035 for common carp, 1.18±0.01 for silver carp and 2.00±0.04 for tench (p<0.01). The fatty acid composition of fish varies greatly depending on fish species. The amount of saturated fatty acids was the highest in tench (36.36±0.33) and lowest in common carp (24.23±0.06) (p<0.01). Tench contained the least amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (34.97%), and the largest percentage was measured in common carp (64.34%) (p<0.01). Silver carp contained the higest percent of polyunsaturated fatty acids 24.23% of which was 18.17% n-3 and 6.07% n-6, the lowest percentage was in common carp which contained 10.95% and the ratio n-3/n-6 was 0.14 (p<0.01). Fish species determined chemical composition and the relative fatty acid content in meat. Nutritive value of examinated freshwater fish is high since their fatty acid composition is characterized by favourable proportion of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and by high proportion of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic and arachidonic acids.