The Content of Fat and Polyenoic Acids in the Major Food Sources of the Arctic Diet. Localization of Double Bonds in Fatty Acids by Means of Mass Spectrometry of Fatty Acid Pyrrolidides

• Published in: Fette, Seifen, Anstrichmittel
• Main Authors: Shukla, V. K. S., Clausen, J., Egsgaard, H., Larsen, E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1980
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lipi.19800820506; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Flipi.19800820506; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/lipi.19800820506

Abstract The fatty acid pattern of muscle and fat tissue of the arctic seal, birds and mammals are presented and compared with the fatty acid pattern of the corresponding tissues of domestic animals normally used as meat sources in western countries. The triglyceride content of muscle samples were also assayed in these animals. A gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry system was used for the localization of the position of double bonds in the unsaturated acids using their pyrrolidides. The data indicated that the fat tissue from the seal is the major source of polyenoic acids i. e., tri‐ and pentaenoic acids in the diet of the arctic hunter. These acids are derived metabolically from linolenic acid. In contrast polyenoic acids i. e. linoleic acid and its derivatives in the non‐arctic diet are mainly supplied from muscle tissue of non‐ruminant animals as well from the sources of vegetable origin. The fat content of muscle tissue in arctic animals was not lower than that of domestic meat. The data presented are related to recent studies of the apparent low incidence of coronary heart diseases in arctic populations.