Differences in the Lipid Composition of Fresh Water Prawn ( <i>Macrobrachium rosenbergii</i> ) and Marine Shrimp

Abstract

ABSTRACT Total lipid content of fresh water prawn (FWP, Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) was found to be greater than that of marine shrimp (3.18 vs 1.33%). This was due to the much higher levels of triglycerides in FWP as compared to marine shrimp. The ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) predominated in FWP lipids, whereas the w3 PUFA predominated in marine shrimp, primarily due to the greater concentration of linoleic acid in FWP lipids (16.3 vs 2.9%). The triglycerides of both species contained considerable amounts of PUFA and FWP has a high triglyceride content. This may contribute, in part, to the shorter shelf‐life of Macrobrachium as compared to marine shrimp.