Nutritional Evaluations of Green Catfish, Mystus nemurus

Abstract

The nutritive values of green catfish, Mystus nemurus such as proximate analysis, fatty acid profile (especially omega – 3 fatty acids, EPA : eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA : docosahexaenoic acid), amino acid contents, vitamins and minerals were studied. The composition of dried green catfish and sardine meal were also carried out. The results showed that percentages of protein, fat, moisture in fresh, dried green catfish, Mystus nemurus and sardine meal were 18.43, 65.99, 68.80; 4.93, 22.40, 7.78 and 75.75, 7.04, 6.17, respectively. Vitamin E content in dried green catfish (264 μg/100 g) was higher than that in sardine meal (84 μg/100 g) while calcium and phosphorus in dried green catfish were lower than those in sardine meal. Fatty acid contents especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in dried green catfish (0.4256, 1.7472 g/100 g) were also found to be higher than those in sardine meal (0.0467, 0.1011 g/100 g respectively). The results of this study indicated that dried green catfish, Mystus nemurus were high in nutritive values especially omega – 3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA). The green catfish, an inland fish, was also found to have higher omega – 3 fatty acids than marine fish, sardine.