Asian Journal of Advances in Research

This study compared the fatty acid profile of Clarias gariepinus (African catfish) fed commercial and locally formulated diets. Two commercial fish diets (Aller Aqua at 60% crude protein and Blue Crown at 45% crude protein) were utilized and a locally designed diet was prepared using fish meal, wheat bran, soybean meal, groundnut cake, maize, lysine, methionine, premix and salt. The Pearson square method was applied to formulate the diet at 40% crude protein. Ninety healthy fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus of average weight (10.12g to 11.30g) were placed at random in three treatment groups and were fed on the experimental diets over a period of 12 weeks. Muscle samples were studied at the end of the feeding trial using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the fatty acid composition of the muscle samples. The data was presented as mean ± SD and were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with p < 0.05. Results showed that there was a significant difference in fatty acid composition in treatments. Fish fed the locally formulated diet had the highest concentrations and variety of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a wider distribution of fatty acids in general. Conversely, fish fed the Blue Crown diet contained the most monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) with moderate values recorded in the fish fed Aller Aqua. The most prevalent fatty acid in all groups was oleic acid and the essential fatty acids were more prevalent in fish fed the locally prepared diet including linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Finally, the diet developed locally enhanced the nutritional quality and diversity of fatty acids of Clarias gariepinus. This suggests that well-developed local feeds can be a cheaper substitute of commercial feeds and provide more health benefits to cultured fish.