Abstract
Some species of fish and other aquatic organism are important sources of protein and fatty acids that are beneficial to human health and can be industrially processed. The fatty acid profile of Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger (native to the Brazilian Amazon flooded forest) was determined in samples of a commercial cut (tail fillet) and fat (fat body and somatic fat) of these two species. There were no statistically significant differences in the total lipid content between them (p ≥ 0.05) and both had higher levels of palmitic, stearic (saturated), and oleic (unsaturated) acids. However, omega 3 (ω-3) and omega 6 (ω-6) were not detected in the samples of the commercial cut; they were present only in the fats evaluated. Clinical studies are necessary to assess the influence of fatty acids from Amazon Caimans on human diet and the feasibility of obtaining new products such as nutraceuticals. Key words: Black caiman, spectacled caiman, omega 3, omega 6.
Highlights
A large number of consumers have had access to food nutritional information
The term essential fatty acid (EFA) refers to polyunsaturated fatty acids that must be obtained through foods since they cannot be synthesized in the human body and are required for maintaining good health
The variability of FAs found in the lipid profile of crocodilians studied is significant from nutritional and commercial point of view because it suggests the possibility of obtaining high calorie products
Summary
A large number of consumers have had access to food nutritional information. there has been a growing interest in some nutrients associated with the prevention of diseases through diet, including fat consumption. Lipids are important constituents of cell membranes and play major role in metabolic processes (Martin et al, 2006). They are composed of fatty acids (FA) of different chain lengths that may be saturated (SFA) or unsaturated (UFA). The unsaturated fatty acids are classified into monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats (Moreira et al, 2002). The term essential fatty acid (EFA) refers to polyunsaturated fatty acids that must be obtained through foods since they cannot be synthesized in the human body and are required for maintaining good health. Clinical studies have been performed on EFAs due to their special tendency to be considered as functional foods.
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