Comparative studies on nutrient profiling of two deep sea fish (Neoepinnula orientalis and Chlorophthalmus corniger) and brackish water fish (Scatophagus argus)

Extensive researches are in progress to explore the deep sea resources in our planet to conquer the dilemma and diminish the size of malnourished community. Nowadays the limelight has been broadened toward the deeper ocean. In the present study the nutrient profiling of two deep sea fish species (Neoepinnula orientalis and Chlorophthalmus corniger) was compared with a well-known edible brackish water fish (Scatophagus argus). The deep sea fish of interest (N. orientalis and C. corniger) were observed to possess relatively similar quantities of crude protein (18.6 ± 0.9 and 19.4 ± 0.9% respectively) as that of S. argus (20.4 ± 0.8%). The fat content of N. orientalis is commensurate with that of spotted scat, whereas C. corniger was found to contain very high fat content (14.6 ± 0.7%). Though their amino acid composition display slight variation with that of the brackish water fish, the deep sea fish were analyzed to contain significant amount of the essential amino acids viz. lysine, phenyl alanine, histidine, as well as the non essential amino acids aspartate, arginine, serine, glutamate, proline, glycine, alanine. The studies have also conceded that the fish from deep waters are the comparable sources of minerals, with those of the brackish water fish. Among the three fish of interest N. orientalis was noticed to be the richest source of sodium (5746 ± 27 mg kg⁻¹), potassium (3438 ± 19 mg kg⁻¹), calcium (4247 ± 16 mg kg⁻¹) and magnesium (2253 ± 21 mg kg⁻¹). Meanwhile, C. corniger is having highest levels of iron (120 ± 1.5 mg kg⁻¹) and zinc (135 ± 2.8 mg kg⁻¹), whereas S. argus was found to have the highest levels of manganese (35.8 ± 2.8 mg kg⁻¹) and nickel (10.1 ± 0.8 mg kg⁻¹). The level of cadmium in N. orientalis (0.75 ± 0.01 mg kg⁻¹) was demonstrated to be slightly higher than the prescribed limit. The present study has revealed that both deep sea fish of interest exhibit an analogous nutritive value with that of the common edible brackish water fish, S. argus.