Effect of some local plant extracts on fatty acid composition of fish (Alestes baremoze) during smoking and sun drying in the Far-North region of Cameroon

Goldefroy Tabanty Zambou; Noël Tenyang; Lucie Birault; Alice Kermarrec; Agnes Gacel; Germain Kansci; Anne Meynier; Sylvain Guyot; Roger Ponka

doi:10.1002/fsn3.3636

Effect of some local plant extracts on fatty acid composition of fish (Alestes baremoze) during smoking and sun drying in the Far-North region of Cameroon

Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Aug 16;11(9):5621-5637. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3636. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Goldefroy Tabanty Zambou¹, Noël Tenyang¹, Lucie Birault², Alice Kermarrec², Agnes Gacel³, Germain Kansci⁴, Anne Meynier², Sylvain Guyot³, Roger Ponka⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science University of Maroua Maroua Cameroon.
² INRAE, UR BIA Nantes France.
³ INRAE, UR1268 BIA (Biopolymers, Interactions & Assemblies), PRP Group (Polyphenols, Reactivity, Processes) Le Rheu France.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science University of Yaoundé I Yaoundé Cameroon.
⁵ Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Derivated Products, National Advanced School of Engineering of Maroua University of Maroua Maroua Cameroon.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the antioxidant activities of three plant extracts (Moringa oleifera leaves, Xylopia aethiopica fruits, and Allium cepa leaves) and to evaluate their effects on the preservation of fish polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) during smoking and sun-drying processes. PUFAs are highly prone to oxidation during fish processing. The plant extracts were analyzed for their polyphenol contents and were evaluated for their total antiradical capacity. The polyphenol components of each plant were characterized. The hydroethanolic and aqueous extracts were added to the fish at concentrations of 3, 6, 9, and 12 g/L and 10, 20, 30, and 40 g/L, respectively. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was used as a positive control at a concentration of 2 g/L to compare the antioxidant effects of the plant extracts. The treated fish was subjected to smoking or sun drying and the fatty acid composition of the fish lipid extract was assessed. The results showed that the total polyphenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents varied significantly from one plant extract to the other (p < .05). The radical scavenging and FRAP increased significantly with the concentration of the plant extracts (p < .05). An HPLC analysis of the extracts led to the preliminary identification of four hydroxycinnamic acids in M. oleifera and X. aethiopica, one anthocyanin and one flavone glycoside in M. oleifera, and four flavan-3-ols in X. aethiopica. Moreover, eight flavonols were preliminarily identified in the three plants. Compared to the control product, these plant extracts significantly protected fish PUFAs from oxidation (p < .05). The aqueous extract of A. cepa at 40 g/L better preserved omega-3 in fish during smoking and sun drying than the control product. Incorporating the three plant extracts during smoking and sun-drying processes can effectively preserve the PUFAs in fish. Therefore, these plants are viable sources of natural antioxidants in the preservation of fish products.

Keywords: Alestes baremoze; Allium cepa leaves; Moringa oleifera leaves; Xylopia aethiopica fruits; antioxidants; fatty acids; smoking and sun drying.