Study on the proximate compositions of dry fish powder and dry seaweed powder as functional ingredients for food applications.

Abstract

Goldstripe Sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) and green seaweeds (Ulva fasciata) are underutilized sea food sources but can be used to food value-additions based on their’ nutritional importance, abundance, and cost effectiveness. The objective of this study was to develop dry powders from both sources, fish powder (FP) and Ulva powder (UP), together as potential functional food ingredients for the food industry as a solution for malnutrition in the local community. Dry fish (Sardinella gibbosa) was collected from Rathgama harbor and fresh Ulva fasciata seaweed was collected from Thalaramba, Matara. The cleaned dry fishes were washed and sundried for 1 h before being oven dried at 120 ± 5°C for 30 min. Fresh seaweeds were cleaned, washed, dewatered, and dried overnight (8 h) at 60 ±5°C. Both dried samples were pulverized to fine particles, sieved, and stored in adequately sealed polypropylene bags at 4 °C, separately. Then those powders were analyzed for moisture, crude protein, carbohydrate, crude fat, total fat, ash contents, and chromameter values in replicates (n = 3). For both FP and UP, Moisture% (19.68±0.57, 13.59±1.48), Crude protein% (60.63±0.97, 12.59±2.65), Carbohydrate% (1.96±0.10, 6.69±0.56), Crude fat% (4.22±0.93, 0.34±0.49), Total fat% (5.28±0.17, 2.38±0.12), Ash% (15.81±0.39, 18.99±0.31), and Crude fiber% (only present in UP - 47.09±3.47). The chromameter values for dried fish powder (FP) are reported as 36.13±1.45 (L*), -5.20±0.62 (a*), and 11.70±1.02 (b*). Similarly, for dried Ulva powder (UP), the values are presented as 54.90±0.10 (L*), 8.10±0.10 (a*), and 25.00±0.87 (b*), representing the L*, a*, and b* values for both powders, respectively. This broader understanding contributes to the discourse on the use of these as functional foods based on nutritional composition and color aspects, concluding that they are promising functional food ingredients for sustainable and accessible food solutions.