Proximate and fatty acids composition of the muscles and viscera of Asian catfish (Pangasius bocourti)

The objective of this research was to analyse the distribution pattern of proximate composition and fatty acid profiles in different portions of Asian catfish (Pangasius bocourti). The lipid content was found amongst different portions, ranging from 2.95% to 93.32%, being lowest in the caudal–dorsal portion and highest in the viscera. Protein, moisture and ash contents were inversely proportional to the lipid content amongst the body portion. There was no specific tendency for the changes of each fatty acid composition from the different portions. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) was the most predominant fatty acid found in all tissues, ranging from 32.7% to 39.9%, followed by saturated fatty acids (SFA) ranged from 30.2% to 36.5% of total fatty acid, whereas the total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content was the lowest, ranging from 14.8% to 24.0%. This study revealed that the proximate compositions and fatty acids deposition in Asian catfish varied markedly throughout the body portion.