Amino Acid and Mineral Profiles of Fresh Snakehead (Channa striata) Meat to Potential as an Immune System

ABSTRACT

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Riau Province experienced an increase in fish consumption as an effort to improve the immune system in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. The increase in fish consumption is in line with the increase in the production of snakehead fish commodity fisheries in Riau Province. However, research on the nutritional content of snakehead fish from Riau waters has not been reported. So, this study aimed to characterize the snakehead fish meat's amino acid and mineral profiles. Snakehead fish was obtained from Bengkuang Lake, Riau Province then analyzed physically (fish freshness detection, morphometrics, and fish body proportions) and chemically (proximate, amino acids, and minerals). The results showed that the snakehead fish meat obtained from Riau waters was in fresh condition with a body length of 30.33 cm and a body weight of 252 g, which was dominated by the proportion of the body part of the meat of 37.38%. Based on chemical characteristics, snakehead fish meat contained 16.99% protein and 1.96% ash. Snakehead fish meat also had dominant amino acids, namely leucine 0.539% and glutamic acid 1.446%. Furthermore, snakehead fish meat minerals were dominated by Fe 6.217% and Zn 2.235%. The presence of amino acids leucine, glutamic acid, and Fe and Zn minerals play an important role in the wound healing process and immune system.