STUDIES ON THE FATTY ACID AND OTHER LIPID CONSTITUENTS OF FISH ORIGIN.

Seven species of marine fish found in coastal waters of Karachi were studied e.g. Carcharhinus melanopterus (black Shark), Lutjanus Johnii (Hira), Scomberoides Iysan (Aal), Parastromateus niger (Black poplet), Scomberomorus guttatus (Surmai) and Epinephelus malabaricus (Gisser) for their fatty acid composition. The isolation, identification and characterization of thses fatty acids were carried out by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The total lipid contrnts in liver range from 3.56 to 39.55% of wet tissue and flesh contained highly limited quantity as 0.007-0.805%.As many as 25 individual fatty acids that occur in marine fish oil were studied. It was analysed that among saturated fatty acid myristic, palmitic and stearic acid are the major whereas lauric, pentadecanoic acid as minor constituents. Among unsaturated fatty acid monoenoic e.g palmitoleic and oleic acids are the major unsaturated fatty acids. Traces of dienoic and trienoic fatty acids were noticed. In addition medicinally important polyunsatured. During the course of present investigation composition of fish oils with reference to climatic and seasonal variations were also evaluated and it was concluded that temperature differences between 13 and 23 had little influence on deposition or introversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids.The fish oil and its constituents have been studied in detail with special reference to cardiac ailments. The discovery of w-3 fatty acids which are abundant in fish, led to a detail investigation about its effect and role as antihypercholesterolemic agent. The effect of fish oil alone and in combination with two other related drugs namely lovastatin and gemifibrozil was found to be a potential cholesterol and triglycerides lowering agent.Combination therapy is adapted to specify the importance of drug interaction and w-3 fatty acids as a basis of new studies regarding side effects and toxicity. Attempt is also made to decipher the interaction and mechanism of w-3 fatty acids as an antihyperlipidemic agent. It is also suggested that w-3 fatty acid acts in synergistic relation to that of lovastatin.