Nutritional quality indices for freshwater resources at La Plata Basin for human health as an ecosystem value concept

PETEAN M.E.; COLLINS P.A.; D'ALESSANDRO M.E.

Murcia

Congreso; XX Congress of the Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL-2020) III Iberoamerican Congress of Limnology (CIL-2020); 2020

Asociación Ibérica de Limnología

The aim of this work was to study some freshwater aquatic animals (crustaceans and fishes) of La Plata Basin as good quality nutritional resources and compare them with marine species. Protein and lipid contents, and fatty acids and aminoacids profiles were evaluated in the muscle of freshwater crustaceans (Macrobrachium amazonicum, M. borellii, M. rosembergii) and fishes (Leporinus friderici, L. obtusidens, Luciopimelodus pati, Prochilodus lineatus, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans), and then it was compared with marine species (crustacean: Penaeus monodon; fishes: Merluccius merluccius, Thunnus obtesus, T. albacares). Fatty acids and aminoacids compositions were used to investigate the nutritional quality through indicators such as atherogenicity index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI), hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H), n3/n6 ratio, essential amino acids/total amino acids (EAA/TAA), functional amino acids/total amino acids (FAA/TAA) and Arg/Lys ratio. Lipids content was higher in fishes (0.5-2.4 %w/w) than prawns (0.4-1.4%w/w), being similar between freshwater and marine species. The AI and TI values were low in freshwater species and like marine species; the lowest values correspond to Leporinus (Boga), and then Pseudoplastystoma (Surubi) and Luciopimelodidus (Pati). The higher values of h/H ratio correspond to Boga and Surubi, while marine species had a higher n3/n6 ratio. Freshwater species are rich sources of protein like marine animals, having crustaceans the highest values. Approximately, 50% correspond to EAA. FAA was higher to 60% of the total AA and the relation between Arg and Lys was near to 1. Thus, the freshwater species of La Plata Basin provide, as ecosystem service, good resources nutritional for human health.