Journal of Biology

and Earth Sciences

TMKARPISKI

ISSN: 2084-3577

PUBLISHER

BIOLOGY

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Chemical composition and amino acid profile

of Sardinella longiceps collected from Western
coastal areas of Kerala, India
Sheril Ann Shaji, C.K. Hindumathy
V.M.K.V Engineering College, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT

The proximate, mineral composition, moisture content, fatty acid and amino acid profile of Sardinella
longiceps has been investigated. Four different forms of same sample were taken for various analyses.
They were sardine fresh meat (SFM), sardine cooked meat (SCM), sardine whole extract (SWE) and
sardine cooked dried meat (SCDM). Amino acid profiles of the samples showed that cystine and
arginine was lost due to oxidation and absorption in the SCM and SCDM samples, during the cooking
process. The amino acid tryptophan was analyzed separately due to its tendancy to degrade in acidic
medium. It was found that tryptophan was present in high level in the SCDM samples. The moisture
content of SFM and SCM was 64.8% and 55.7% respectively. SWE and SCDM had negligible moisture
content. The total crude protein content in SFM was little less than SCM. And protein content was 23.63%
in SFM and incase of SDM, it was 29.31 %. The crude protein content in SWE was 2.22% and in SCDM,
it was negligible. The crude fat content in SFM was 41 .25% and in SCM, it was 46.25%. No trace of
crude fat content was seen in SWE, but SCDM showed an appreciable amount of 37.1 5% crude fat
content. Ash content estimation of five different samples including of bone were done. The ash content
was maximum (27.48%) in bone. The ash content in SFM, SCM and SCDM was 3.94%, 2.49% and
1 .77% respectively. SWE showed negligible ash content. Potassium content was found to be maximum
in all the samples except bone. Mineral study showed potassium content was maximum in all the
samples except in bone, where percentage of calcium was analyzed as maximum.

Key words:

Sardinella longiceps;

Amino acid profiles; Proximate composition; Tryptophan.

J Biol Earth Sci 201 3; 3(1 ): B1 29-B1 34

Corresponding author:

C.K.Hindumathy
Department of Biotechnology, V.M.K.V.
Engineering College, Vinayaka Missions
University, Salem-636 308, Tamil Nadu, India
E-mail: hindumathyck@rediffmail.com
Original Submission: 23 February 201 3; Revised Submission: 11 April 201 3; Accepted: 1 2 April 201 3
Copyright 201 3 Author(s). Journal of Biology and Earth Sciences 201 3 Tomasz M. Karpiski. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

http://www.journals.tmkarpinski.com/index.php/jbes or http://jbes.strefa.pl
e-mail: jbes@interia.eu
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Shaji & Hindumathy Chemical composition and amino acid profile of Sardinella longiceps

INTRODUCTION
Fishes are nutritious fooditems and are
comparatively less expensive meat source
available. Health benefits related to fish
consumption are due to the presence of proteins,
unsaturated essential fatty acids, minerals and
vitamins. The poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA),
especially -3 PUFA in fish are known for their
hypocholestermic activity. These nutritional qualities
have stimulated increasing demand for fish,
worldwide.
Information on biochemical composition of fish
finds application in several areas. Today people are
more conscious about health foods and fish has got
wide acceptance because of its special nutritional
qualities. Fish and fishery products finds application
as animal feeds. Formulation of such products
needs proper data on the biochemical composition.
Processing and preservation of fish and fishery
products also need correct information on
biochemical composition. Information on the
biochemical constituents will enable a processing
technologist to identify the best possible processing
and storage conditions, so that the quality is
preserved to the maximum degree.
The four major constituents in the edible portion
of fish are water, protein, lipid (fat or oil) and ash
(minerals). The analysis of these four basic
constituents of fish muscle is often referred to as
proximate analysis [1 ]. Even though data on
proximate composition are critical for many
applications and investigations on these lines had
been carried out from as early as the 1 880s [2].
Reliable data on proximate composition of most of
the species of fish are difficult to obtain. Stansby [3]
had observed that proximate composition was
considered to be such an elementary sort of thing
that it did not receive due attention from scientist.
Even after 40 years, the situation is not different as
far as many species of fish are concerned.
But this is not the only or basic reason for the
absence of accurate and reliable data on
biochemical composition of fish. Fishes are very
heterogeneous and highly specialized group
evolved through biochemical adaptation and
evolution, consisting approximately of 24.000
species, showing extreme variations in size, shape,
appearance etc. The habitat and food intake of
these species are equally diverse. Some species
are exclusively marine while some are confined

to fresh water habitats. Some survive in marine as

well as fresh water environments. Some marine
species migrate to fresh water for spawming. The
widely different environmental conditions of
temperature, salinity, pressure, availability of food
etc, profound influence on the biochemical
composition. There may be group specific or
even species difference in the biochemical
composition. Even within a species, variations occur
for individual fish or lots of fish taken at different
times or under different conditions [3]. Another type
of variation in proximate composition occurs
between different parts of the same fish. There is
generally an increase in the oil content of the
muscle from the tail portion towards the head.
Similarly the light and red muscle will vary in the
biochemical composition. It is against this
background that we have to view the data on the
biochemical composition of fish. Data available in
literature for the proximate composition of individual
species will only indicate the range or average
values and these are not usually taken as absolute
values.
Today there is an ever increasing awareness
about healthy food and fish is finding more
acceptance because of its special nutritional
qualities. In this context a proper understanding
about the biochemical constituents of fish has
become a primary requirement for the nutritionists
and dieticians. The important health benefits of fish
is due to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acid
(PUFA), hypocholestermic activity. But when we
consider India, the consumption of these kind of fish
are very less, since the nutritional value of such
type of fish has not yet studied completely and
deeply. Therefore it is necessary to elucidate the
major biochemical components like proximate
composition, fatty acid composition and cholesterol
content. And here we made a comparative study of
Sardinella longiceps. Hence the main objective of
this present study is:
- to estimate amino acid and tryptophan
composition
- to determine the proximate composition.
The outcome of this study is expected to help in
the elucidation of exact nutritional constituent
and the nutritive value available in fishes.
Furthermore, it is presumed that when the people
become aware of fish essential nutrients, it may
result in the increased consumption of these
kinds of fish in diet, ultimately escorting them for a

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Shaji & Hindumathy Chemical composition and amino acid profile of Sardinella longiceps

healthy life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sample collection

Specimen selected for the present study were

Sardinella longiceps collected from Western coastal
areas of Kerala, India. Four different forms of same
sample were taken for various analyses. They were
sardine fresh meat (SFM), sardine cooked meat
(SCM), sardine whole extract (SWE) and sardine
cooked dried meat (SCDM).

minerals like Na, K and Ca are estimated using

flame photometer after dissolving the ash in dilute
HCl. The reading is compared against standard
solutions of the respective minerals.

RESULTS
Amino acid analysis

Analysis of amino acids except tryptophan was

done by standard methods of HPLC. The amino
acid tryptophan was analyzed separately due to its
tendancy to degrade in acidic medium. Tryptophan
was analyzed by standard spectrophotometry
method [4].

The amino acid content in different samples was

analyzed. Each amino acid composition in SFM
was comparatively more than other samples.
Cysteine was totally absent in all the samples.
Arginine was absent in SFM but was present in
comparable large amount in other three samples.
Of all the amino acids, percentage content of valine
was maximum in SCM (Fig. 1 ). The amino acid
tryptophan was analyzed separately due to its
tendancy to degrade in acidic medium. It was found
that tryptophan was present in high level in the
SCDM samples (Fig. 2).

Proximate analysis

Proximate analysis

Chemical analysis of samples

In proximate analysis four major constituents of

edible portion of the fish; water, protein, fat and ash
was analyzed. Proximate composition was
determined as per AOAC [4] method (official
analysis for proximate composition documented by
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists). The

Fig. 1.

As a part of proximate composition, moisture

content, crude protein content, crude fat content
and ash content of the four different samples were
analyzed. The moisture content of SFM and SCM
was 64.8% and 55.7% respectively. SWE and
SCDM had negligible moisture content. The total

Analysis of amino acids except tryptophan in SWE, SFM, SCM and SCDM.

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Shaji & Hindumathy Chemical composition and amino acid profile of Sardinella longiceps

Ash percentage in SFM, SWE, SCM, SCDM and

in bone.

Fig. 2.

Tryptophan content in SFM, SWE, SCM, SCDM.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Moisture content percentage in SCM, SFM, SWE,

Fig. 5. Percentage

SCDM.

SWE, SCDM.

of crude protein content in SCM, SFM,

Percentage of crude fat content in SCM, SFM,

SWE, SCDM.

Fig. 7. Na,

crude protein content in SFM was little less than

SCM. The crude protein content in SFM was 23.63
% and incase of SDM, it was 29.31 %. The crude
protein content in SWE was 2.22% and in SCDM, it
was negligible. The crude fat content in SFM was
estimated as 41 .25% and in SCM, it was 46.25%.
No trace of crude fat content was seen in SWE. But
SCDM showed an appreciable amount of 37.1 5%
crude fat content. Ash content estimation of five
different samples including of bone were done. The

ash content was maximum in bone with a

percentage of 27.48. The ash content in SFM, SCM
and SCDM was 3.94%, 2.49% and 1 .77%
respectively. SWE showed negligible ash content
(Fig. 3-6).

Fig. 6.

K and Ca content in SCM, SFM, SWE, SCDM.

Mineral concentration analysis

Sodium, potassium and calcium content was

examined in SFM, SCM, SWE, SCDM, bone.
Potassium content was found to be maximum in all

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Shaji & Hindumathy Chemical composition and amino acid profile of Sardinella longiceps

the samples except bone, where percentage of

calcium was analyzed as maximum. Calcium
content in other samples were comparatively less
(Fig. 7).

DISCUSSION
The chemical composition of fish varies greatly
from one species and one individual to another
depending on sex, age, environment and season.
Therefore a substantial normal variation is observed
for the constituents of fish muscle.
During starvation periods, the fish uses the
energy depots in the form of lipids and also may
utilize protein, thus depletion of these reserves
results in a general diminution of biological
condition [5]. This condition will influence the quality
of the different fish products and it will condition the
yield and process efficiency. Therefore, the
knowledge of proximate composition of fishery
species has fundamental importance in the
application of different technological processes
[6-8].
The efficiency of a fish diet is dependent on its
balance in relation to the specific requirements of
the fish species. Nutrient requirement differences
exist between species, particularly in relation to the
amino acid composition [9]. Knowledge about the
actual amino acid requirements of fishes would be
very useful for an appropriate diet formulation and,
as a consequence, a better growth performance,
yield and higher nutritive value.
The knowledge of the amino acid, minerals and
proximate composition for important fish species is
desirable, due to the recent dietary and medical
emphasis on the role of these nutrients in human
health. Despite high demand, commercial value and
wide availability of these fish species, there is a
need to obtain precise data on their chemical
composition because no such data is available for
these fish in the study area where these fish are
regularly consumed. This study is likely to open
new areas of research as the knowledge of
biochemical and proximate compositions of fish
species is of fundamental importance in the
application of different technological processes in
fish preservation, processing and product
development of high added values.
The ash content obtained in the bones was high.
This is due to the high level of chitin strengthened
by a high level of calcium metal in the exoskeleton

of M. vollenhovenii and the shell of T. fuscatus [1 0]

and the high ash content is of significance in
measuring the mineral content of the species as the
amount of ash shows the richness of the food in
terms of element composition [11 ]. The moisture
content of SFM and SCM was 64.8% and 55.7%
respectively. SWE and SCDM had negligible
moisture content [1 2]. Knowledge of the moisture
content of foodstuff serves as a useful index of their
keeping qualities and susceptibility to fungi infection
and a low moisture content in both species is
advantageous in terms of their shelf-life [1 3].

CONCLUSION
The present work revealed that the Sardinella
longiceps is a good source of proteins, aminoacids
and also significant amount of minerals.

TRANSPARENCY DECLARATION
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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