Effect of Cooking Method on the Proximate, Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Compositions of Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus

Abstract

The proximate, amino acid and fatty acid compositions of the fillet and oil of two commonly consumed fresh water fishes-Clarias gariepinus (Catfish) and Oreochromis niloticus (Tilapia)-were evaluated in this study. The samples were separately boiled, roasted (over hot charcoal) and fried using different types of oils (palm oil, groundnut oil, soybean oil and refined palm oil) and the effect of the processing methods on the nutritional composition was determined. The moisture content ranged from 76.27% for catfish to 79.97% for tilapia while the oil content ranged from 7.80% for tilapia and 11.00% for catfish. Ash content was in the range 8.03-9.16% and the protein content was 15.83-18.48%. The cooking methods resulted in a variation in the nutrient composition but no significant variation was observed in the amino acid composition except for the samples fried with palm oil which recorded significantly reduced essential amino acid contents. All the fish samples-both fresh and processed-have amino acid scores less than 100, with lysine, threonine and the sulfur-containing amino acids being among the limiting amino acids. Both fish samples contain more unsaturated than saturated fatty acids. Cite this: Oluwaniyi O, Dosumu O, Awolola G. Effect of Cooking Method on the Proximate, Amino Acid, and Fatty Acid Compositions of Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus.