Small Indigenous Fishes (SIFs) are gaining popularity due to their rich micronutrient content coupled with low cost. There is a need to bring these nutrient dense SIFs to major distribution channels which can lead to better price realization to the local community. This requires proper documentation of the nutritional benefits of SIFs in comparison to commercially available fishes. Present study aimed to assess the fatty acid profile and lipid quality of Puntius sophore, and compare with the small fishes, Anchovy (Stolephorus commersonnii) and Malabar sprat (Ehirava fluviatilis). Among the fishes studied, P. sophore had the least fat content (3.5%) and highest value was observed for Malabar sprat (6.5%). Palmitic acid followed by stearic acid were the major saturated fatty acids observed in anchovies and Malabar sprat in contrast to myristic acid and heptadecanoic acid in the P. sophore. Oleic acid was the major monounsaturated fatty acid in all the fishes studied. Among the polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexa enoic acid followed by eicosapentaenoic acid were predominant in the anchovies and Malabar sprat. For P. sophore, linolenic acid followed by arachidonic acid were the predominant PUFA observed. The variations in the fatty acid profile could be attributed mainly to the habitat and the feed of the fishes studied. In anchovies and Malabar sprat, docosahexaenoic acid was observed to be higher than eicosapentaenoic acid which was opposite in the P. sophore. Various lipid quality attributes studied indicated that the SIF, P sophore lipid quality is comparable with other small fishes studied.
Keywords: Small Indigenous Fish; Puntius; Anchovy; Malabar sprat; PUFA