Abstract
Examination was made of the amount of n-3 fatty acid in freshwater fish, abundantly present in the northeastern region of Thailand. Gas-liquid chromatgraphy was conducted for this porpose for 15 species of the fish. As a result, Channa striata (Striped snake-head fish) was found to be the best source for both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 : 5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 : 6 n-3) with concentration of 13.1 and 10.5%, respectively. The results showed that 185.7g of Channa striata per day can provide 1g of n-3 fatty acid as recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council of USA. There could be a potential source of adequate n-3 fatty acid and healthy food in this freshwater fish.
