Analysis and Evaluation of Nutrient Composition in the Wild, Pond- and Lake-Cultured Topmouth Culter (Culter alburnus)

Research was conducted on topmouth culter (Culter alburnus) grown in ponds and lakes as well as wild types in order to determine their chemical composition and nutritional value. There are three types of fish that differ in their proximate composition, amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals. Wild fish had a significantly lower crude lipid contents than cultured fish (P < 0.05), but a higher protein content. Aside from histidine and proline, wild and cultured fish have similar amino acid compositions. A significantly reduction in total monounsaturated fatty acid content (∑MUFAs) was observed in wild fish compared to cultured fish (P < 0.05), while total polyunsaturated fatty acids (∑PUFAs) showed an obviously opposite trend. As compared with cultured fish, wild fish had significantly higher levels of n-3 PUFAs, arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahxaenoic acid (DHA) (P < 0.05). The mineral content of wild and cultured fish did not differ significantly (P > 0.05), except for Na, Fe and Se. In conclusion, diet composition and external aqueous environment may determine the differences between wild and cultured topmouth culter.