Comparison of nutritional value of snakehead fish from Guangdong and Deqing varieties

PLoS One. 2024 Mar 27;19(3):e0301203. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301203. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Environmental pollution and overfishing of wild fish resources have led to a significant decrease in snakehead fish, thus leading to the increased demand for breeding the snakehead fish. Guangdong and Deqing snakehead fish are two common consumed varieties. However, their nutritional value was unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the nutritional value of snakehead fish from Guangdong and Deqing varieties feeding with different fodders by analyzing and comparing the proximate composition, fatty acids and amino acids. Results showed that the contents of carbohydrate, energy and fat contents in Guangdong variety were lower than that in Deqing variety feeding commercial fodder or offal. Besides, Guangdong variety contained the highest contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (27.99 ± 1.99%) and EPA + DHA (2.70 ± 0.04%), as well as total essential amino acid content (2550.29), compared to Deqing variety feeding commercial fodder or offal. Overall, snakehead fish from Guangdong variety displayed the highest nutritional value, and thus was a reasonable choice for farmers and consumers. The findings of this study would help farmers to choose the suitable feeding variety and patterns of snakehead fish from the perspective of fish nutritional value, which is beneficial to the sustainable fish farming.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Conservation of Natural Resources*
  • Fisheries*
  • Fishes
  • Meat
  • Nutritive Value

Grants and funding

Modern Agricultural Industrial Technology System Construction Special Fund, Jiangxi Province (Bulk freshwater fish industrial system JXARS-03-Gannan Piece): decision to publish. Ganzhou Science and Technology Plan “Research and Demonstration of New Model of Intensive Healthy and Efficient Aquaculture of Characteristic aquatic Products, 2024” (part of Gannan Academy of Sciences) project: data collection and analysis.