Impact of the quality of the farm water on cuts yield and meat quality of Channa striata

Abstract

The murrel fish, or Channa striata, is a precious freshwater resource. Several recent studies on the nutritional content and bioactive compounds of murrel fish have been conducted. Based on farm water conditions, C. striata, the focus of this study but not the only Channa species with high protein content, can be estimated to have a high protein value. The average moisture content of this C. Striata fillet is 74.9 ± 0.87%, with significant variation between diets tested. Water salinity of 4 g/L was discovered to interfere with the physicochemical quality of the pond culture. Consumers deemed pond culture at salinities of 15, 25, and 35 g/L acceptable. In pond culture, however, tasters preferred a salinity of 15 g/L. The evidence of the species euryhalinity, the preservation of the physicochemical composition, and consumer acceptance support the conclusion that murrel fish can grow in salinities of 15, 25, and 35 g/L without losing quality. The sensorial analysis detected a salinity difference of 7 g/L with a standard sample of 35 g/L, but no differences were found between the salinities of 15 and 25 g/L and the salinity of 35 g/L (p > 0.05).