Fatty acid composition and arachidonic acid intake of selected Saudi foods.

Twenty-eight Saudi Arabian common foods were analyzed for their fatty acid contents by gas-liquid chromatography using capillary column. The predominant fatty acids were oleic, palmitic, linoleic and stearic acids. The polyunsaturated to saturated fats ratio (P:S) as well as the n-3:n-6 ratio were generally not compatible with recommended values. Assessment of C20:4 (n-6) content in those foods showed a noticeable variation ranging from 9 mg/100 gm in beef sirloin to 256 mg/100 g in kannad fish. Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5) n-3 content was highest in kannad (925 mg/100 g). Applying C20:4 (n-6) values determined in this work to Saudi Balanced Sheet, the mean C20:4 (n-6) intake for a Saudian was estimated as approximately 115 mg/day.