Nutritional Profiling of Wild (Pangasius pangasius) and Farmed (Pangasius hypophthalmus) Pangasius Catfish with Implications to Human Health

Abstract

This study analyzed and compared the nutritional profiles of wild (Pangasius pangasius) and farmed (Pangasius hypophthalmus) pangasius catfish collected from the various sources of river and culture ponds in Bangladesh. The results indicated that the wild pangasius catfish had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of moisture, fat and ash content, compared to the farmed one. However, the farmed pangasius had significantly higher level of protein and carbohydrate, compared to wild pangasius. The total EAA ratio was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in wild pangasius (1.51 ± 0.01 g/100 g), compared to farmed pangasius (1.55 ± 0.01 g/100 g), which exceeded the FAO/WHO minimum standard of 40% for both species. In regard to fatty acid contents, wild pangasius was found to be rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) with a mean value of 4.89% and 2.72%, respectively, while the values in the farmed pangasius were 1.07% and 0 (not detected), respectively. A higher ω-3/ω-6 ratio was found in wild pangasius 14.26%, in comparison with farmed pangasius (0.14%). Overall, the results indicated that pangasius catfish either farmed or wild are suitable for human consumption wherein wild pangasius has superior amino acid and fatty acid quality, compared to the pangasius reared in captivity.