AMINO ACIDS PROFILE AND BENEFICIAL METALS COMPOSITION OF SOME SELECTEDSPECIES OF SEAFOOD FROM SOMBREIRORIVER IN IDAMA, RIVERS STATE.

Abstract

Seafood has been used widely as a vital source of animal protein and other beneficial metals.This study was designed to profile the amino acid and beneficial metal contents of Whelk (Buccinum undatum), Crab (Callinectes sapidus), Periwinkle (Littorina littorea), and Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from Sombreiro River in Idama of Rivers State. Crude protein, amino acids, and metal contents of the seafood were determined using standard methods. Also, the leucine/isoleucine/valine, sodium/potassium, sodium/magnesium, and potassium/sodium ratios were determined. Data were statistically analysed with ANOVA. Results for the total proteins showed that Crab had the highest crude protein content of 25.17 ± 0.01 % while Whelk and Periwinkle had the lowest total crude contents respectively. All four shellfishes contained 9 essential amino acids required by most biological systems and 9 non-essential amino acids. Histidine, lysine, methionine, and phenylalanine were the most abundant nutritionally essential amino acids while glutamic and aspartic acids were the most abundant non-essential amino acids. It was revealed that Oyster had the highest percentage of total essential amino acids and Whelk had the highest percentage of total non-essential amino acids. The leucine/isoleucine/valine ratios showed that Periwinkle and Crab had a ratio of 1.0:1.0:1.0 each while Whelk and Oyster had 2.0:2.0:1.0 and 4.0:3.0:1.0. Also, potassium and magnesium were the most abundant metals. All the metals analysed and the mineral ratios calculated were below the internationally acceptable limits. These results, therefore, revealed that the seafood analysed was of high nutritive values which might be useful in clinical nutrition and counselling.