Proximate analysis, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of edible flatfish collected from Cuddalore coast, Southeast India

It is quintessential to know the nutritional value of foods we consume. Here, we have assessed the nutritional value, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of five commercialised flatfish species from the Cuddalore coastal waters in the southeast coast of India. Proximate analyses were performed to assess the moisture, ash, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids in the muscle of edible marine flatfishes. Flatfish protein has a well-balanced amino acid composition, with major amino acids in the five fish species being valine (0.77%), methionine (0.55%), isoleucine (0.50%), lysine (0.49%), and arginine (0.49%). Five flatfish oil samples were analysed for seven fatty acids, including three saturated fatty acids and four unsaturated acids. Morotic acid (18:4) was the most abundant fatty acid, followed by palmitic acid (16:0), linolenic acid (18:3), margaric acid (17:0), oleic acid (18:1), and stearic acid (18:0). The findings of this study can be used to establish a baseline for analysing the nutritional profiles of diverse fishes in future.