PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF SILVER CATFISH (Bagrus bajad) SMOKED WITH DIFFERENT WOOD SPECIES

Abstract

The study examined the Proximate composition and Sensory characteristics of Silver catfish (Bagrus bajad) smoked with different wood species commonly used amongst fish processors in Dustin-Ma local government area of Katsina state. Five treatments (A-E) comprising of five wood species A= Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), B= Jackalberry tree (Diospyros mespiliformis), C= Kinkeliba tree (Combretum micranthum), D= Purple Orchid tree (Piliostigma reticulatum) and E= charcoal was used. A total of 125 silver catfish were purchased from the Garhi landing site of Zobe Reservoir in the study area. The fish were washed, gutted, brined in 5% salt solution and then divided into five treatments (A, B, C, D and E) of 3Kg each and were each assigned to a particular treatment. Fish were smoked using modified smoking kilns, smoked fish was allowed to cool for one hour and then packed in a perforated cardboard box and stored at a prevailing room temperature. Proximate analysis was conducted to determine the biochemical content of the smoked fish using the AOAC method 2012. A twenty-member semi trained panelist was used to assess the organoleptic properties of the fish using a 5 point hedonic scale initially and after eight weeks of storage period. Results showed that protein content ranged from 57.26% to 69.15%. Fish smoked with Neem tree had the highest moisture content of 5.32%. The final analysis showed that 75.64% and 5.19% were the highest protein and moisture contents, in fish smoked with Kinkeliba tree. The overall sensory assessment ranged from 20.0 to 21.35 for aroma, taste, texture, colour, and general acceptability in the initial assessment and 11.48 to 19.43 in the final assessment. Proximate analyses indicated slight variations before and after storage period. All the fish smoked with the different wood species possessed good and desirable sensory attributes and are capable of maintaining these characters up to eight weeks of storage period from the result of sensory evaluation.