Biochemical Composition and Nutritional Value of the Muscle Tissue of Yellowback Seabream, Evynnis Tumifrons, from the East China Sea

Biochemical composition and nutritional value of muscle tissue of wild-caught yellowback seabream (Evynnis tumifrons) from the East China Sea were determined. The yellowback seabream muscle contained 18.30% crude protein and 0.47% crude lipid. The contents of biochemical, moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, and ash were analyzed using AOAC standard methods. The compositions and contents of amino-acid and fatty-acid were determined by Amino Acid 20 Analyzer and Agilent 6890 Gas Chromatograph. The total essential amino acids (EAA; those required by humans) accounts for 46.96% of the total amino acids in E. tumifrons, higher than FAO/WHO standard but lower than whole-egg protein standard. In E. tumifrons, the first limiting amino acids were threonine (Thr), based on amino acid score (AAS), and methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys), based on chemical score (CS). A total of 19 fatty acids were identified; together, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) contributed 22.65% of the total fatty-acid content, with 17.25% from DHA. The composition data provided useful information on the food quality and nutritional-requirement characteristics of this fish, which may facilitate the development of appropriate feed formulation in E. tumifrons mariculture.