Polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of some traditional fish and shrimp paste condiments of the Philippines

The fatty acid composition as well as the water, NaCl, ash and fat contents of six types of shrimp and fish paste condiments of the Philippines were determined. The condiments were prepared by incubating the fish or shrimp in high concentrations of salt and under high humidity at ambient temperature over several months. The primary objective was to assess the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and in particular the content of all-cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in these products. The product derived from small shrimp fry (Acetes spp.) had the highest content of DHA. The contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including DHA, of this particular condiment, were not significantly different from that of fresh untreated shrimp fry, indicating the presence of mechanisms that protect against polyunsaturated fatty acid autoxidation during the preparation process. Also, the DHA contents of the condiment derived from juvenile Siganus approached that of the Acetes condiment because of its relatively high fat content. In conclusion, two of the fish and shrimp paste condiments tested may be sources of dietary DHA for those who consume this type of food.