Biochemical composition of Fish

Dr. Rebia Ejaz

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FST-609
Seafood processing Technology
  Fish need energy to maintain basic metabolic activities and
to support growth, reproduction, activity, and health
 Proximate composition
 Shellfish provide high-quality protein and important
vitamins and minerals, as well as omega-3 fatty acids
2 Introduction  Rich source of protein and low caloric density
 Have well-balanced amino acid composition e.g. lysine,
methionine, Taurine, choline etc.
 Rich source of minerals and vitamins e.g. Vitamin D, B12 etc
3 Factors influencing biochemical profile
Extrinsic factors
Intrinsic factors Geographic areas
age and type of species temperature of water
Physiological and biological Seasonal effects
conditions
Variations in nutrients
pre or post spawning period
feed intake
sex differences
Trawling and rearing method
 Fish Meat
 Edible portion is 45-60% of whole body weight
 Types of muscles
 Striated (muscle fibers with striations)
 Smooth (shellfish)
 Heart (intermediate structure b/w above two )
 Marine sources provide about 20% of the animal protein
eaten by humans
 In Asia, about 1 billion people rely n fish as their primary
source of proteins
 The fishing enterprise employs some 200 million people
worldwide
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Biochemical Composition
of Fish and Shellfish
 Principal contents: Proteins, fat, water
 Protein content is 15-24 %
 Fat composition varies 10-25%
 Fat inversely proportional to water
 Contains vitamins, minerals and
enzymes 0.8-2%
 Water ranges from 60-83 %
 Carbohydrates 1-2%

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6 Proteins

In some species protein Lysine and methionine

Normally range from 15-
may be < 15 % or may are present in higher
20 %
be as high as 28 % concentrations

Fish protein is beneficial

Essential in human diet for metabolic syndrome,
Skeletal protein is 50-60 inflammation, osteoporosis,
for maintenance of good
% of total weight of fish obesity-related
health comorbidity, insulin
resistance and cancer.
7 Conti...
Protein content is classified into three groups on solubility basis:

• Sarcoplasmic: water soluble albumin 20-25%

• Myofibrillar: soluble in salt solution actin, myosin 66-77%, forms contractile
muscles and myofibrils
• Stroma: insoluble in water or salt collagen elastin 3-10%, forms connective
tissues and connectin protein

Also contain non- protein components:

• Peptides
• Nucleic acids
• Bases like ammonia, trimethylamine etc
 Carbohydrates content in seafood is very low

No carbohydrates present except glycogen in

Carbohydrates liver

8 Have limited digestibility ( 35-80 %)

Used in cellular metabolism

  Three categories of fish on the basis of fat content:
1.Lean fish ( Less than 5 % fat ) e.g. Cod, salmon,
tuna
2.Mid-fat fish ( 5-10 % fat) e.g. catfish, rainbow
trout
3.Fatty fish ( 10-25 % fat) e.g. mackerel, sardines
9 Fats  Shellfish have a lower fat content ( generally up to 2 %)
 The EPA and DHA in shellfish range from 300-500 mg
 Saturated FA (palmitic C16=0)
 Monoenoic FA (oleic C18=1bond
 Polyenoic FA provides most specific characteristics to
seafoods (EPA C20=5bonds and DHA C22=6bonds)
 Fat content determine quality of fish and hence its
price/weight
 Brain has highest concentration of fat and heart has
lowest
 Fatty substances in fish are complex structure of
10 Conti... glyceride group and fatty acids
 Provides natural flavour, tenderness to lean fish,
smoothness during mastication
 Lipolysis and auto-oxidation (lipid spoilage)
11 Minerals

Good source of
1-2 % of fish
minerals e.g.
flesh
calcium, selenium
composition
and phosphorus

Good source of
phosphorous ranging
between 204-230 mg/100 g
Aids in making
phosphorous in fish
the bones strong
compared to 176 mg/100 g
in terrestrial meats
  Fish liver is rich in vitamin B12 and B-complex
 Rich source of vitamin A and vitamin D
 Elis are rich in vitamin D and mackerel is rich in
vitamin A
12 Vitamins  Vitamin D helps in proper bone development
 Vitamin A prevents poor eyesight
 B complex vitamins help in healthy development
of nervous system
  Nutritional value of fish meat is greater than cattle
meat
Nutritional  300 g of fish = ½ of the protein and fat intake
13 value of  =1/4th of the calories needed daily
raw fish  This amount also provides 30 % Fe, 50 % P, 100 %
vitamin A and 30 % vitamin B1 and B2
  Exudation cause 4 % loss in protein and loss of water-
soluble vitamins
 Cooking at 60 °C causes loss of weight due to water
loss
Nutritional
 Canning results in considerable loss in vitamin B1 and
value of vitamin C but it doesn’t effect protein, fat and heat
preserved stable vitamins
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and  Salting cause 1-5 % loss in protein
 Smoking results in 8-30 % loss in protein
processed
 Steam/pressure cooking results in minerals and protein
fish loss
 Freezing destroy vitamin E and encourage rancidity of
fat
 Protein and lipids in fish have not only a high
nutritional value but also impact on human health

Shellfish items can satisfy the dietary requirements

15 Conclusions of many nutrients

With increasing globalization, international trade,

and rising consumer interests, a need persists for
constant vigil to ensure sustainable supply of a safe
shellfish and fish
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