Nutritional composition of Spiny eel (Mastacembelus mastacembelus) caught from the Atatürk Dam Lake in Turkey

Abstract

In the study, the proximate, fatty acid and mineral element compositions of spiny eel (Mastacembelus mastacembelus) caught from Atatürk Dam Lake were investigated. Accordingly, the moisture, ash, protein and lipid contents were found as 75.05%, 1.15%, 19.53% and 3.33%, respectively. The fatty acid composition were found to consist of 38.49% monounsaturated (MUFA), 33.87% saturated (SFA), 21.47% polyunsaturated (PUFA), 1.62% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and 8.41% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Total n-3/n-6 ratio was determined as 2. Among the mineral contents, K had the highest proportion. As a result of the study, spiny eel was concluded to be a beneficial food source for both human health and nutrition.