Sun-Dried Fish: Bridging Food Science and Cultural Significance of Traditional Knowledge | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 120, Volume 28, Issue 4, July and August 2024, Page 2051-2072 PDF (926.37 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2024.375969 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Kalita et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Nutritionally significant fish species undergo different post-harvest changes that render fish unfit for consumption. A traditional method used to preserve fish for extended periods is sun-drying. For millennia, sun-dried fish have been used as a staple food and are believed to offer therapeutic benefits in many civilizations across the globe. Ethnomedicine, which encompasses traditional healing practices based on indigenous knowledge, often incorporates sun-dried fish into remedies for various ailments. The present study aimed to subject the role of sun-dried fish Puntius sophoreas an important zootherapy by emphasizing a comparative account of the nutritional profile of the species in both fresh and sun-dried conditions. In the present study, moisture content was found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) in the fresh fish samples, while the crude protein, crude fat, ash, and carbohydrate were found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) in the sun-dried samples. The predominant essential amino acids (EAA) in fresh and sun-dried samples of P. sophore were lysine and histidine, respectively. However, the non-essential amino acid (NEAA) found was glutamic acid in both fresh and sun-dried samples. Significant changes were observed in the amino acid content of the fish species in the two conditions. In the sun-dried condition of P. sophore, a significant increase (P<0.05) was detected in vitamin D content, sodium, potassium, iron, and zinc, aligned with a significant decrease in vitamins A, E, K, calcium, and magnesium. The present generation's attitude toward traditional medicine as being unscientific and acculturation are indeed significant factors contributing to the decline of such practices. Hence, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the nutritional value of sun-dried fish species as a supplemental food source in the global fight against nutritional deficiencies worldwide and highlighting its implications in the field of ethnomedicine. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Amino acid; Ethnomedicine; Mineral; Proximate composition; Sun-dried; Vitamin | ||||
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