The nutritional quality of the Vietnamese P. hypophthalmus
fillets analysed in this study may not be considered
high. In fact, besides having low cholesterol levels, a
favourable characteristic for human nutrition, sutchi catfish
fillets were characterised by a fatty acid profile unusual
for most fish species and devoid of those nutritional characteristics
that induce dieticians and nutritionists to recommend
the consumption of fish and seafood products at least
twice a week. PUFA, in particular those of the n3 series,
are a class of nutrients fundamental in the human diet for
their platelet anti-aggregating and blood pressure-reducing
properties and for their role in the prevention of cardiovascular
diseases. The high proportion of saturated fatty acids,
oleic and linoleic acid and the low n3/n6 PUFA ratio
levels differentiate Pangasius from most of the other fish
species.