Exploring the nutritional profiles and dietary value of indigenous fish species from the Mathabanga River in Bangladesh

• Published in: Food chemistry advances 2024-12, Vol.5, p.100786, Article 100786
• Main Authors: Begum, Mohajira, Mim, Farzana, Reza, Md. Selim, Ferdousi, Lailatul, Hossain, Md. Sabir, Juliana, Farha Matin, Hasan, Md. Rakibul, Ahmed, Supriya, Al Mamun, Md. Zia Uddin, Hossen, Md. Sujan, Sathee, Rahima Akter, Goshwami, Ayan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Bangladesh; Food analysis; Food composition; Food security; Minerals; Proximate composition; Small indigenous fish
• ISSN: 2772-753X; 2772-753X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.focha.2024.100786

•Protein content ranged from 12.88 to 16.99 g/100 g, with the highest in the C. reba.•The order for the mineral composition of fish powders was Ca>P>Fe>Na>Mg.•Leucine emerged as the predominant essential amino acid in the fish samples.•Elevated levels of total essential amino acids were found in O. pabo.•P. ticto exhibited the highest ratio of total essential to non-essential amino acid. The study aimed to address the pervasive issue of inadequate nutrition in Bangladesh by analyzing eight distinct fish species, a pivotal step toward developing fish powder as a promising dietary supplement for nutritional enhancement. Samples from the Mathabhanga River in Chuadanga were rigorously processed and oven-dried to assess their nutritional properties, focusing on proximate composition, mineral content, and amino acid profile. Among the studied fish species, C. reba demonstrated the highest energy content (198.56 Kcal/100 g, p < 0.001), with notably elevated crude protein content (16.99 g/100 g, p < 0.001) compared to all except N. notopterus. The mineral composition order in fish powders was Ca > P > Fe > Na > Mg. Leucine emerged as the predominant essential amino acid (EAA) (6.84 to 32.15 mg/g, p < 0.001) among the species. O. pabo exhibited notably higher total EAA (∑EAA) levels (124.30 mg/g, p < 0.05) compared to other species. P. ticto showed a significantly higher ratio of total essential and non-essential amino acid content (∑EAA/∑NEAA) (0.41, p < 0.05) compared to other species. These findings underscored the nutritional value of the studied fish species, advocating their utilization as a dietary supplement to address malnutrition in Bangladesh.