Nutritional Analysis of Three Commercially Important Dried Fish (Otolithoides Pama, Trichiurus Haumela, Harpodon Nehereus) of Three Different Countries

Abstract

The study aimed to compare the nutritional and fatty acid composition of three dried fish species, Otolithoides pama, Trichiurus haumela, and Harpodon nehereus, of Bangladesh and imported sample of India and Myanmar. Proximate compositions were analyzed using the AOAC method with modifications, and fatty acid analyses were conducted via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). Overall, the quality of fish samples from all three countries was deemed excellent. The dried Harpodon nehereus from Myanmar stood out with the highest protein content (62.81±2.83%) among the species, while also exhibiting the highest lipid content (11.03±0.39%). Indian Harpodon nehereus had the highest ash content (10.18±0.72%), and Bangladesh’s dried Harpodon nehereus had higher moisture and fiber content. For Trichiurus haumela, the Bangladeshi sample had the highest protein and lipid content, whereas Myanmar’s sample had the highest ash concentration. Moisture and fiber content were higher in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Otolithoides pama displayed variations in protein, ash, moisture, and fiber content across countries, with India having the highest moisture content. The major fatty acids identified included Methyl Palmitate, Methyl Palmitpleate, Methyl Laurate, Methyl Arachidonate, and Methyl Stearate, with notable levels of Methyl Linoleate in all three species, particularly in Bangladeshi Trichiurus haumela. In summary, the study revealed significant compositional variations in dried fish from different countries.