DETERMINATION OF FREE FATTY ACIDS (FFAS) IN SOME SELECTED FISHES IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

This present study determined the lipid content of three (3) different commercially important fresh water fishes, Clarias gariepinus (catfish), Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (durukulli) and Alestes macrolepidotus (silver side) respectively in Bayelsa state, Nigeria. Using gas chromatograhy-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Result showes the present of free fatty acids (FFAs) as cis-11-eicosanoic acid, oleic acid, capric acid, decanoic acid e.t.c, in all the samples indicating cis-11-eicosenoic with the highest level. Durukulli 141.34mg/l, Silver side 127.75mg/l and catfish 113.71mg/l FFAs level. Correlation (Pearson regression) analysis was adopted to evaluate the inter-Total Free fatty Acids (FFAs) relationships within Aquatic samples as high relationship was observed between Durukuli and Silver Side (r= 0.867729), Durukuli and Clarias garri (r= 0.80235), Silver Side and Clarias garri (r= 0.345498), The high correlations among fishes show that there is high connection or point source or a common source of these Free Fatty acids in the analyzed Aquatic lives apart from the natural background level during the course of study.