ASSESSMENT OF BIOCHEMICAL QUALITY OF TEN SELECTED DRIED FISH PRODUCTS OF NORTH EAST INDIA

Abstract: Analysis of biochemical quality was carried out on ten indigenous fish species of North East India which were dried and preserved by traditional methods. The species included Noemacheilus beavani, Chanda ranga, Barilius tileo, Amphipnous cuchia, Anabas testudineus, Amblypharyngodon mola, Channa punctatus, Tor putitora, Puntius chola and Conta elongate. The samples were collected from several rural markets of the state of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. The parameters observed were moisture content, protein, lipid, ash content and pH. The biochemical analysis was done by the methods described in AOAC, 1980. Moisture content ranged between 2.77% (Barilius tileo) to 8.92% (Amblypharyngodon mola). Protein content varied in the range of 28.63% (Channa punctatus) to 53.84% (Chanda ranga). Lipid content exhibited wide variation in the range of 4.42% (Barilius tileo) to 16.52% (Chanda ranga). Ash content ranged between 8.96% (Noemacheilus beavani) to 30.30% (Tor putitora). Except Amblypharyngodon mola, Channa punctatus, Tor putitora and Conta elongate all the other samples have a pH value near neutral.

Keywords: Ash, Biochemical composition, Dried fish, Lipid, Moisture, NE India.