Evaluations of crude protein and amino acid contents from the scales of four mullet species (Mugilidae) collected from Karachi fish harbour, Pakistan

Abstract

724-731<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"ms="" mincho";mso-font-kerning:="" 0pt;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">The present study was aimed to determine the crude protein and amino acid contents in the scales of four mullet species namely Liza macrolepis, Liza melinoptera, Mugil cephalus and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Valamugil speigleri found in the Pakistan coast. <span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"ms="" mincho";="" mso-font-kerning:0pt;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-GB">The moisture content of scales ranged from 42.8% in L. macrolepis to 58.3% in M. cephalus. The values of crude protein content in dry matter of the scales were found to be in order of 78.07% in Liza melinoptera, 76.45% in Mugil cephalus, <span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"ms="" mincho";="" mso-font-kerning:0pt;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:ja;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">70.36 Liza macrolepis<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"ms="" mincho";="" mso-font-kerning:0pt;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-style:italic"="" lang="EN-US">, 62.28% in Valamugil speigleri, respectively. Both glycine and proline contents were found to be high as compare to the remaining amino acids, however, cysteine, methionine and tryptophan were not detected. Hence, the result of the present study revealed that like other materials obtained from the fish, scales could also be considered as a rich source of protein and various essential amino acids, thence, they could also be used to produce various materials including skin moisturizing creams, anti-aging creams, wrinkles removers creams etc. and biomedical materials in <span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"ms="" mincho";="" mso-font-kerning:0pt;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.</span