Assessment of nutritional quality of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon)

• Nutritional assessments of Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Penaeus monodon were performed. The crude protein, lipid, nitrogen-free extract, and mineral contents were significantly higher in M. rosenbergii than in P. monodon. • Significantly higher content of PUFA was found in . M. rosenbergii than in P. monodon. • The ratio of n-3/n-6. n-6/n-3 did not differ between M. rosenbergii and P. monodon . • The higher values of PUFA/SFA ratio, EPA + DHA, H/H, HPI, and FLQ, and lower values of AI, and TI, were observed from P. monodon than from M. rosenbergii . • Based on the results, it could be concluded that M. rosenbergii were rich sources of nutrients in terms of chemical composition, fatty acids, and minerals; P. monodon contained better quality lipids than M. rosenbergii . This study exposed the first complete reports on the nutritional assessment of giant freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) and black tiger shrimp ( Penaeus monodon ) from Bangladesh. The crude protein, lipid, and nitrogen-free extract were substantially higher in M. rosenbergii than in P. monodon . The saturated fatty acids (SFA) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) of giant freshwater prawn and black tiger shrimp did not differ significantly. However, monounsaturated fatty acids were significantly higher in giant freshwater prawn than in black tiger shrimp. Significantly higher polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was obtained from black tiger shrimp than from giant freshwater prawn. Among PUFAs in two species, the linoleic acid content was more abundant than eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, the lipid quality index such as the values of n-3/n-6, n-6/n-3, PUFA/SFA, EPA + DHA, Hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (H/H), Health Promoting Index (HPI), Flesh Lipid Quality (FLQ), Atherogenic Index (AI), and Thrombogenic Index (TI) were within the recommended values for human health. Moreover, giant freshwater prawn and black tiger shrimp were abundant sources of minerals. These findings could guide stakeholders in improving the farming practices of prawns and shrimp in Bangladesh to meet the consumer's demand or fulfill food and nutrition security in Bangladesh.