Proximate composition and fatty acids profiling of Seahorse originated from Simeulue, Aceh-Indonesia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the proximate composition, quantitative of fatty acids analysis as well as the content in the seahorse sample, Hippocampus sp which originated from Sibigo waters, Simeulue, Aceh, Indonesia. In this study, proximate composition and fatty acids of seahorse were determined. Based on the proximate analyses that had been conducted, results showed that protein was the most abundantly found in the seahorse (39.32±0.22%), orderly followed by carbohydrate (28.48±0.25%), ash (25.43±0.16%), moisture (6.29±0.13%) (dry weight basis) and fat (0.47±0.30%). Fatty acids profiling and analysis were also conducted by using the a GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy). The analysis result showed that sample possessed of saturated fatty acids in big size were palmitic acid, stearic acid, myristic acid, and lauric acid. While unsaturated fatty acids were arachidonic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid. Traces of saturated fatty acids in small seahorse were found in the sample including palmitic acid, stearic acid, miristic acid and lauric acid, while unsaturated fatty acids were linoleic acid and oleic acid. The highest saturated fatty acid in seahorse was palmitic acid (60.67%), and unsaturated fatty acids were oleic acid (45.5%), arachidonic acid (25.08%) and linoleic acid (0.93%).