Chemical composition and fatty acid contents in farmed freshwater prawns

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition and fatty acid contents of Amazonian and giant river prawns. After four‑month farming, with the same diet for both species, palmitic and stearic acids were the main saturated fatty acids. Oleic acid was the main monounsatured fatty acid, and the eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids were the most abundant polyunsaturated acids. Amazonian prawn has higher levels of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids than those of the giant river prawn, which shows its potential for aquaculture.