COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF SUN-DRIED PUNTIUS SOPHORE

Proximate composition and digestibility of sun-dried Puntius sophore, a low-cost variety of sun-dried fish, used in a traditional fermented fish preparation (Ngari) in Manipur, were evaluated. Sun-dried Puntius contained (%) moisture 18.1, proteins 45.0, lipids 18.5 and ash 11.0. In vitro digestibility of protein by pepsin was 44.1% in 2 h, as agai nst 55.7% by pepsin + trypsin in 24 h. Nitrogen intake, nitrogen outpu t, and digestibility in feeding trials on laboratory rats were 8.8, 2. 3 and 82.0, as compared to the values of 7.7, 0.7 and 92.7, respective ly, for reference casein. The biological value, food conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio were 96.8, 3.1 and 2.0, as against the r espective values of 97.1, 3.7 and 2.7 for reference casein. The alpha- amino nitrogen of Puntius was 32.6 mg/g total nitrogen. The total vola tile basic nitrogen value, thiobarbituric acid number and peroxide val ue were within the acceptable limits.