Species Variations in the Proximate Composition, Amino Acid Profile, and Protein Quality of the Muscle Tissue of Grass Carp, Bighead Carp, Siberian Sturgeon, and Wels Catfish

Abstract

This study determined the proximate composition, energy value, amino acid profile, and protein quality of the muscle tissue of four food fish species. The fish analyzed contained 78.90–69.89% water, 18.25–15.69% protein, and 2.28–12.57% fat. The energy value of the muscle tissue ranged from 93.50 to 175.83 kcal/100 g. The contents of amino acids in 100 g of protein were 47.64–45.86 g for total essential amino acids (TEAA), 52.36–54.14 g for total neutral amino acids (TNAA), 3.14–2.25 g for total sulphur amino acids (TSAA), and 7.23–7.81 g for total aromatic amino acids (TArAA). The essential amino acid (EAA) composition of the fish was compared with the standard protein, and Chemical Score (CS), Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), and Essential Amino Acid Index (EAAI) were calculated. The quality of the muscle tissue proteins of all four fish species was high. These fish can constitute a healthy addition to the human diet.