Analysis and evaluation of meat content and nutritional components of loach in Taiwan

In order to evaluate the nutritional value of loach in Taiwan, the general nutritional composition, the amino acids and fatty acids composition in muscle of loach in Taiwan were determined using the national standard method, the rate of flesh content and muscle water holding capacity were determined using the usual method.The results were as follows: the rate of flesh content of loach in Taiwan was 63.94% ± 7.76% and the edible part was 72.02% ± 2.91%. Muscle storage loss rate, frozen seepage rate, cooking weightlessness rate were 4.70% ± 0.41%, 11.66% ± 5.87%, 23.10% ± 5.98% respectively.The moisture of muscle, crude protein, crude fat and crude ash were 77.71% ± 0.59%, 17.93% ± 0.65%, 3.04% ± 0.62%, 1.24% ± 0.33%respectively.In the muscle of loach in Taiwan, there were 18 amino acids including eight essential amino acids and five delicious amino acids for human.The total amino acids, total essential amino acids and delicious amino acids were 82.82% ±2.58%, 33.11% ± 1.46%, 35.28% ± 0.88% respectively. According to the amino acid score, the first restrictive amino acid of loach in Taiwan was valine, and the second restrictive amino acid was tryptophan. According to the chemical score, the first restrictive amino acid was tryptophan, and the second restrictive amino acid was valine. The essential amino acid index was75.77. There were 23 fatty acids in the muscles.The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs) was 37.85% ± 0.64%. The total content of eicosapntemacnioc acid ( EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA) was 5.18% ± 1.23%.loach in Taiwan is a good source of protein and delicious taste freshwater fish with high nutrition.