Question

The chief saturated fatty acid present in fish oil is

• A. Oleic acid
• B. Palmitic acid
• C. Polyenoic acid
• D. Cetoleic acid

Hint:

Fish Oil Fatty Acid Profiles:
Chief Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA) = PALMITIC ACID (16:0).
Chief Monounsaturated (MUFA) = Oleic Acid (18:1).
Chief Polyunsaturated (PUFA) = EPA (20:5n-3) & DHA (22:6n-3).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Biochemistry of marine lipids: fish oils contain 15--25% saturated fatty acids dominated by hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid, 16:0).
Key Formula or Approach:
\[ \text{Palmitic Acid: } \text{CH}_3(\text{CH}_2)_{14}\text{COOH} \quad (16:0) \quad [\text{Comprises } 60 - 70\% \text{ of Total SFA in Fish Oil}] \]

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In lipid biochemistry and fish oil composition:
- Fish body oils and liver oils (e.g., sardine oil, cod liver oil) are composed of:
1. Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA): Account for $\approx 20 - 30\%$ of total fatty acids. Palmitic Acid (16:0, Hexadecanoic acid) is overwhelmingly the chief and most abundant saturated fatty acid (constituting $> 60 - 75\%$ of total saturated fatty acids, typically $12 - 20\%$ of total fatty acids).
2. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA): Oleic acid (18:1), Palmitoleic acid (16:1), Cetoleic acid (22:1).
3. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA/HUFA): EPA (20:5n-3) and DHA (22:6n-3).

Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, the chief saturated fatty acid in fish oil is Palmitic acid, corresponding to option (B).