Nutritional Profile of Economically Valuable Fish Species in the Lake Victoria Basin: Implications for Food and Nutrition Security Among Local Communities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15188874Keywords:
Fish, Nutritional profile, Lake Victoria Basin, Fatty acid compositionAbstract
Fish has the potential to help address human nutrient deficiencies but is often underrepresented in nutrition policies and strategies, partly due to a lack of supporting evidence. This study reviews the nutritional profile of economically valuable fish species in the Lake Victoria Basin. It focuses on five key species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Nile perch (Lates niloticus), Silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), and lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) by assessing their moisture, ash, lipid, protein content, and fatty acid profiles. The study finds that Nile tilapia has a moisture content of 69.36% to 80.03%, protein content of 16.40% to 23.47%, and lipid content of 0.08% to 3.77%, with significant proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly omega-3 (18.9% to 33.0%). Nile perch shows similar moisture content (67.30% to 79.6%) and protein levels (15.93% to 22.51%), with lipid content ranging from 0.59% to 4.16%, and PUFAs, especially omega-3 (12.47% to 33.0%). Silver cyprinid displays a wide range in protein (15.44% to 79.44%) and lipid (0.09% to 22.38%) content, and a substantial portion of PUFAs (21.68% to 35.78%). African catfish has consistent moisture (69.16% to 73.54%) and protein (19.93% to 23.06%) levels, with PUFAs making up 29.7% to 36.9%, and a strong omega-3 presence (27.9% to 36.9%). Lastly, lungfish is notable for its high fatty acid content, with 27.7% to 32.5% saturated fats, 20.8% to 26.4% monounsaturated fats, and 35.2% to 49.2% polyunsaturated fats. PUFA N-3 ranges from 13.0% to 27.9%, and PUFA N-6 ranges from 11.7% to 30.0%. While nutrient profiles vary due to environmental, dietary, and biological factors, these five species are consistently nutrient-dense. Thus, promoting the sustainable harvesting and consumption of these fish can contribute substantially to improving dietary quality and nutrition security in communities reliant on Lake Victoria’s fisheries.
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