Studies on the Availability of EPA and DHA of Different Cultured Carp Species during Different Seasons

The Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevent cardiovascular diseases. These fatty acids play an important role in reducing the risk of colon, breast and prostate cancer. It is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are very effective in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, present study was conducted to know the availability of EPA+DHA (g per 100 g of muscles) of carp species Labeo rohita (Ham), Catla catla (Ham), Cirrhinus mrigala (Ham), Cyprinus carpio (Linn), Ctenopharyngodon idella (Steindachner) and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Richardson). The highest EPA+DHA content was obtained from C. idella (0.56) in spring, C. mrigala (0.27) in summer, C. carpio (0.33) in autumn and L. rohita (0.22) in winter. Based on it, the cost of obtaining 1g of these fatty acids, C. idella and H. molitrix were the cheapest source of EPA+DHA in spring. In summer C. mrigala was the cheapest source while in autumn C. carpio and C. catla. In winter, L. rohita and H. molitrix were the cheapest source of obtaining EPA and DHA for healthy diet.