GAS-LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY AND THE ARACHIDONIC-ACID CONTENT OF ATLANTIC FOOD FISH

Some gas-liquid chromatographic analyses have overlaps among fatty acid chain lengths. In fish depot fats the resulting peak coincidence of docosenoic acids with arachidonic acid can lead to exaggeration of the indicated content of arachidonic acid in edible flesh of marine fish. Modern wall-coated open-tubular columns also resolve the isomers of docosenoic acid, creating potential further problems in fatty acid identifications. Case histories for Atlantic food fish and recent publications are used to emphasize that only accurate marine fish fatty acid data should be used for dietary fatty acid-blood lipid dietary correlations.