The proximate, mineral and amino acid composition and functional properties of Clarias lazera fish caught from River Tammah/Kwoto, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, were investigated. The proximate composition were total ash (8.6%), moisture (7.5%), crude protein (73%), crude fat (8.3%) and carbohydrate (2.5%); crude fibre was not in the detectable range. The available energy was high (1.59 MJ/100 g). The proportions of energy due to protein and fat were 78.0 and 2.7%, respectively. The fish sample was low in sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, chromium and lead. Calcium was the most highly concentrated mineral (63.7 mg/100 g sample). The total amino acid was 925.2 mg/g crude protein while lysine was the most highly concentrated essential amino acid (79.0 mg/g). The fish sample had a balanced content of essential amino acids, including isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine+cystine, phenylalanine+tyrosine, and threonine, with respect to the FAO pattern while supplementation may be required only in valine. The calculated isoelectric point (pI) was 5.6, the predicted protein efficiency ratio was 26.1, and the first limiting amino acid was valine. The results of functional properties were: foaming capacity (4.9%), foaming stability (3.7%, 8 h), water absorption capacity (280.5%), oil absorption capacity (280.6%), oil emulsion capacity (20.0%), oil emulsion stability (19.5, 12 h), lowest gelation concentration (10.0%) and bulk density (470 g/litre). It is concluded that C. lazera could be a good source of most of the parameters determined in this study.
amino acids; bulk density; calcium; carbohydrates; chemical composition; chromium; copper; crude fibre; crude protein; cystine; emulsions; energy; essential amino acids; fat; fish; foaming; functional properties; gelation; iron; isoelectric point; isoleucine; lead; leucine; limiting amino acids; lysine; magnesium; manganese; methionine; mineral content; moisture content; nutritive value; phenylalanine; potassium; protein; protein efficiency ratio; proximate analysis; sodium; stability; threonine; tyrosine; valine; water holding capacity; zinc; Nigeria; Clarias gariepinus; Clarias lazera; Clarias; Clariidae; Siluriformes; Osteichthyes; fishes; vertebrates; Chordata; animals; aquatic organisms; aquatic animals; eukaryotes; West Africa; Africa South of Sahara; Africa; Developing Countries; ACP Countries; Commonwealth of Nations; Anglophone Africa; crude fiber; Mn; nutritional value; quality for nutrition; saccharides; Aquatic Produce (QQ060); Food Composition and Quality (QQ500); Food Chemistry (QQ600) (New June 2002)