A range of edible oils were purchased from a variety of retail outlets and analysed for their n-alkane (c::) content. The concentrations ranged from 7 to 166 mg kg-', the lowest being walnut oil and the highest sunflower oil. n-Alkanes with chain lengths of C,,, C,, and C,, predominated in all of the plant oils except olive oil where C,,, C,, and C,, were the most significant. The results of this pilot survey suggest that the n-alkanes are indigenous and that their composition may be useful in characterising a specific plant seed oil. Two of the 42 samples analysed showed markedly different alkane patterns in which profiles similar to petroleumbased sources dominated the contribution from odd carbon n-alkanes typical of seed oils.

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The lipid content and composition of sprats caught during the 1967-68 fishing season have been measured. The fatty acid composition was found to be similar to that observed in other pelagic fish. The lipid content, however, fell during the season from 18 to 11.5 % and the degree of unsaturation also decreased. This latter diminution was brought about mainly by falls in the polyenoic content of the triglyceride fraction of the lipids. During the period of the analysis the a-tocopherol and ubiquinone 50 content of the fish showed a marked increase. A simple and relatively efficient method of analysis for these components is reported.

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