Vitamin E dosage variations as antioxidants for improving the quality of fish oil derived from processing waste of Pangasius catfish

Abstract

The limited availability of tubifex poses a challenge in obtaining green catfish fry. Fish oil, comprising saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, serves as an alternative fat source in commercial feed. Utilizing by-products from catfish processing, fish oil production has garnered attention; however, its rich unsaturated fatty acid content renders it prone to oxidation. Vitamin E emerges as a potential antioxidant to curb this oxidation. This study aims to evaluate fish oil quality with vitamin E supplementation. Peroxide number (PV) and storage duration (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 days) were analyzed. Fish oil received varying doses of vitamin E (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 mg/100 g), with each treatment replicated twice. Findings indicated that without vitamin E (0 mg/100 g), PV reached 10.0 meq/kg after 15 days of storage. Conversely, with vitamin E (1, 3, 5, and 7 mg/100 g), PV values after 15 days were 7.2, 6.0, 5.4, and 4.0 meq/kg respectively. The study establishes that higher vitamin E doses effectively prolong fish oil shelf life while conforming to the Codex PV standard (≤ 5 meq/kg).