Table 6 Fatty acid composition [percentage of total fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)] of Nile tilapia fed the experimental diets

Saturated fatty acids (SFA)

 Mystiric acid

C14:0

3.41 ± 0.03^a

2.01 ± 0.027^b

1.09 ± 0.06^c

 Palmitic acid

C16:0

27.75 ± 0.42^a

27.43 ± 0.42^a

28.13 ± 0.19^a

 Stearic acid

C18:0

8.39 ± 0.20^a

10.56 ± 0.20^b

15.33 ± 0.19^c

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)

 Palmitoleic acid

C16:1n7

3.75 ± 0.33^a

2.33 ± 0.33^a

2.63 ± 0.47^a

 Oleic acid

C18:1n9

22.97 ± 0.58^a

13.58 ± 0.19^b

11.34 ± 0.20^c

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)

 Omega-6

  Linoleic acid (LA) (ω-6)

C18:2n6

25.13 ± 0.42^ab

27.1 ± 0.42^a

12.33 ± 0.19^b

  Dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (dGLA) (ω-6)

C18:3n6

1.24 ± 0.23^a

0.99 ± 0.26^a

0.37 ± 0.18^a

  Arachidonic acid (ω-6)

C20:4n6

0.83 ± 0.05^bc

1.3 ± 0.06^a

0.84 ± 0.05^b

 Omega-3

  α-Linolenic acid (ALA) (ω-3)

C18:3n3

2.29 ± 0.32^a

4.56 ± 0.19^ab

7.21 ± 0.19^b

  EPA; Eicosapentaenoic acid (ω-3)

C20:5n3

1.47 ± 0.04^a

2.35 ± 0.03^b

3.45 ± 0.07^c

  (DHA); Docosahexaenoic acid (ω-3)

C22:6n3

3.75 ± 0.19^a

7.35 ± 0.19^b

14.63 ± 0.20^c

∑n-SFA

13.18 ± 3.72^a

13.33 ± 3.74^a

14.85 ± 3.91^a

∑n-MUFA

13.36 ± 4.30^a

7.96 ± 2.52^a

6.99 ± 1.96^a

∑n-3(ω-3)

2.51 ± 0.35^a

4.75 ± 0.73^ab

8.43 ± 1.64^b

∑n-6(ω-6)

9.07 ± 4.02^a

9.79 ± 4.33^a

4.51 ± 1.96^a

n3/n6

0.28 ± 0.01^a

0.48 ± 0.01^b

1.87 ± 0.01^c