Nutritional Compositions and Heavy Metal Accumulation Potentials of Selected Fish Species from Ijede River, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

This work aimed at ascertaining the nutritional suitability of some selected fish species in Ijede River, Nigeria. Evaluating the proximate composition, amino acids, mineral compositions and heavy metal accumulation of food fish is the most important aspect in fish nutrition. These were evaluated in Chelaeltiops bibie, Cithrarinus latus, Laeviscutella dekimpei, and Phago loricatus obtained from Ijede River, Lagos State, Nigeria, using standard laboratory procedures. All the amino acids analyzed were present in all the species examined with the highest value of total amino acids found in Laeviscutella dekimpei (283.1 mg/kg-1) except Phago loricatus that has the highest value of 70.00 ± 1.01. Minerals were also evaluated and the highest values were recorded in Phago loricatus with the exception of Calcium that has the highest value of 155.11 ± 1.22 mg/kg-1 in Laeviscutella dekimpei. It was observed that all the fish species analyzed bio-accumulate various metals and the concentrations of these metals exceeds their concentrations in the water sample analyzed. This data also revealed that the fish species sampled are of high nutritive value and are good sources of protein, amino acids and minerals. Amongst the sampled species, Phago loricatus appears to have the highest nutritive value but also the highest potential of heavy metal bioaccumulation.