Comparative Evaluation of Change in Organoleptic, Proximate and Vitamin Content of Freshwater Fish Species, Heteropneustes fossilis at Various Duration of Low Temperature Preservation

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of low temperature preservation on the sensory characteristics, proximate and vitamin content of freshwater fish species, Heteropneustes fossilis. Samples prepared from the fish were kept in low temperature for different duration and nutritional parameters were analyzed. The values of proximate composition of the sample showed the highest content for the fresh sample and the values tend to decreased with increasing storage duration except for carbohydrate. Among all the proximate parameters, moisture, protein, lipid and ash showed a content decreased during storage. However, carbohydrate showed the opposite trend, increased with storage duration. Again, among all the fat soluble vitamins, sample showed the highest value for vitamin D and lowest for vitamin E. Vitamins also showed the declining trend with increasing storage duration. From the present results, it can be stated that fresh fish sample had the highest nutrient content, therefore they should be preferably consumed over preserved fishes or if preserved, it should be for a shorter duration of time so that its nutritional content retains the same.