JARQ 53 (3), 191-199 (2019)Analysis https://www.jircas.go.jp of the Nutritional Composition of Aquatic Species Toward Nutritional Improvement in a Lao PDR Rural Area Analysis of the Nutritional Composition of Aquatic Species Toward Nutritional Improvement in a Lao PDR Rural Area Kaori FUJITA1*, Masataka SAITO2, Bounsong VONGVICHITH3, Katsumi HASADA1, Philavanh BOUTSAVATH4, Xaypunya MAHATHILATH4 and Shinsuke MORIOKA1 1 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan) 2 Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Kagawa Nutrition University (Sakado, Saitama 350- 0288, Japan) 3 Living Aquatic Resources Research Center (LARReC) (Sikhottabong District, Vientiane, Lao PDR) 4 Planning and Cooperation Division, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR) Abstract Nine species of fish (Clarias batrachus, Clarias microcephalus, Anabas testudineus, Henicorhynchus siamensis, Puntius brevis, Rasbora aurotaenia, Channa striata, Channa gachua, and Esomus metallicus) and three types of shellfish (Viviparidae spp., Pomacea spp., and Unionidae spp.) available in Nameuang Village and in the capital city Vientiane of Lao People’s Democratic Republic were analyzed in terms of nutritional composition to investigate their value as food resources with the aim of improving the nutritional status in rural areas of the country. A total of 35 types of fish and shellfish were consumed in the surveyed village. Some species of fish had a high protein content (19-20 g/100 g sample) and quality (e.g., lysine content = 1,750-1,870 mg/g sample and 93.8- 97.9 mg/g protein). Their protein qualities were endorsed by amino acid score (amino acid score 100). These results suggest that the analyzed aquatic animals have high nutrient quality and are efficient/ indispensable food resources for improving the nutritional status of the rural population of the country. Discipline: Food Additional key words: aquatic animals, fish and shellfish, nutritional value, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, rural area Introduction in the total population. The above situations are considered to be due to insufficient animal protein intake The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) is still resulting from the limited supply of animal protein classified as one of the least developed countries in the sources (FAOSTAT 2018). This often causes over- world. In this country, malnutrition is a nationwide dependency on rice in deprived areas (MAF 2013), problem, causing the following situations: 34% of the particularly in semi-mountainous rural areas where children under the age of 5 years is underweight and more access to animal proteins is more limited in quality and than half of the children (63%) are stunted in terms of quantity than in urban areas (Hasada & Yamada 2017). growth (UNICEF 2012). It is reported that the catch-up Lao PDR is largely dependent on inland freshwater growth of children can be enhanced via the intake of food products, including fish and shellfish, for nutritional with the protein and energy levels suited to the child’s age supply (Phonvisay 2013, Halwart & Bartley 2014). The (WHO/FAO/UNU 2007). Furthermore, FAO (2013b) national policy for improvement of malnutrition in rural summarized that 11.0% of households with poor and areas is to increase the animal protein supply, including limited food consumption, and 26.7% of undernourished aquatic products by means of fishery/aquaculture *Corresponding author: e-mail [email protected] Received 19 October 2018; accepted 27 December 2018. 191 K. Fujita et al. promotion. Moreover, along with the increase in aquatic selected since it is a typical village in the mountainous production, preparation of information on the nutritional area of central Vientiane Province mainly inhabited by values of such aquatic animals is also necessary as a rice farmers. The demographic profile of the village has public awareness for nutritional improvement. However, been previously reported (Ikeura et al. 2016); the there is little information about the nutritional value of population size and number of households in the village the typical diet in rural areas of Lao PDR. Although food are 683 and 135, respectively. Paddy fields are distributed composition databases of other countries are present in lowland fields (81 ha) and in mountainous areas (12 (ASEAN Food Composition Database [FCD] 2014), these ha). mainly include large and well-known types of fish or shellfish consumed and do not reflect the species that are 2. Methods of sample selection consumed by residents of Lao PDR. In addition, the data The species were selected from a list of fish and are derived from a large number of sources including shellfish based on an interview with the village chief regional databases with variable sampling and analytical (Table 1). The list was edited to include data from methods, with the sample size unclear in some cases. previous surveys of food consumption in the village However, information on the nutrients in actual aquatic (Hasada 2014) and from two reports on the diversity of species consumed in rural areas of Lao PDR is essential freshwater animals of the Mekong river basin (NEF 2015, for improving the nutritional status of the population. In Poulsen et al. 2004). Table 1 shows the results of the the present study, therefore, we analyzed the essential interview with the village chief conducted in June 2015, nutritional compositions and protein qualities of the which included information on the types of fish and major aquatic animals consumed in rural areas of Lao shellfish that are regularly consumed by the villagers. PDR in order to prepare their actual nutritional The samples for nutritional analysis were selected from information, which will contribute to the improvement of Table 1 based on the following criteria: they constitute a the nutritional status in these areas. major part of the diet, are frequently consumed (year- round), and are the preferred food of most of the villagers. Materials and methods Thus, five groups of fish (Pa duk, Pa keng, Pa khao, Pa kor, and Pa siew) and three types of shellfish (Hoy chup, 1. Survey site Hoy pakkuang, and Hoy kii) were selected. The survey site was Nameuang Village, Feuang District, Vientiane Province (Fig. 1). This village was 3. Sampling and identification Sampling was conducted in a village and two domestic markets from Nameuang Village and Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR, during December 2-8, 2015. The size of the samples depended on the activities of the individuals supplying the village. NaNga market (18°13′59.9"N, 102°29′21.4"E) in the north and Dongmakkhay market (18°04′55.4"N, 02°40′14.4"E) in the mid-eastern part of the Vientiane Capital were selected owing to the abundance of natural fish and shellfish traded directly between the villagers and the traders rather than through a hub market. Samples from Capital the two markets were investigated by questioning the sellers to ensure that their origins differed. In the village, the sample collection was dependent on the activities of the villagers. In total, 39 fish and shellfish samples were collected from Vientiane and Nameuang Village. The number of samples varied for each species but was approximately 1 kg (on a wet weight basis) for each pooled sample from the market. In the village, it was difficult to collect large amounts of a single pooled Fig. 1. Location of the survey sites in Lao PDR (Fujita et al.) (a map modified from “Asia sample, and approximately 400 g was therefore used for Laos Map - Laos maps,” Mapsof.net, the analysis. http://mapsof.net/laos/asia-laos-map) Detailed information on each species, including the 192 JARQ 53 (3) 2019 Nutritional Composition Analysis of Aquatic Species in Laos common names in the local language and the scientific species) were available from the market, but only three names, is shown in Table 1. We sampled two species of species (swamp barb A, B, and C) were analyzed since the walking catfish, Pa duk—i.e., Pa duk en (Clarias there was insufficient material available for the other batrachus) and Pa duk oui (Clarias macrocephalus)— two. Two species of snakehead, Pa kor (Channa striata since they are widely consumed in the country. Regarding and Channa gachua), were also evaluated. the swamp barb (Pa khao), at least three genera (five Table 1. Current consumption status of fishes and shellfishes in the village No. Lao name English name Scientific name Availability* Fishes 1 Pa duk en Walking catfish Clarias batrachus ++ 2 Pa duk oui Bighead catfish Clarias macrocephalus ++ 3 Pa eed Hasselt’s loach Lepidocephalichthys hasselti + 4 Pa gadaeng Beardless barb Cycloheilichthys apogon ++ 5 Pa gadeud Tree spotted gourami Trichogaster trichopterus ++ 6 Pa kaa Malayan leaffish Pristolepis fasciata ++ 7 Pa karbkong Glass perch Parambassis siamensis ++ 8 Pa keng Climbing perch Anabas testudineus ++ 9 Pa khang Bonylip barb Osteochilus vitattus ++ 10 Pa khao Swamp barb Barbodes aurotaeniatus ++ 11 Pa khao Swamp barb Puntius brevis ++ 12 Pa khao Swamp barb Puntius stoliczkanus - 13 Pa khao Javaen barb Systomus rubripinnis ++ 14 Pa kor Snakehead Channa striata +++ 15 Pa kor kan Dwarf snakehead Channa gachua ++ 16 Pa kot Hemibagrus filamentus ++ 17 Pa lard Tire track eel Mastacembelus favus ++ 18 Pa lod Peacock eel Macrognathus siamensis ++ 19 Pa nai Common carp Cyprinus carpio ++ 20 Pa nil Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus ++ 21 Pa pak Silver barb Barbonymus gonionotus ++ 22 Pa seuam, Pa khoun Ompok miostoma ++ 23 Pa siew, Pa gasiew Flying barb Esomus metallicus ++ 24 Pa siew, Pa gasiew Cherry spot rasbora Rasbora rubrodorsalis ++ 25 Pa siew, Pa gasiew Black line rasbora Rasbora borapetensis ++ 26 Pa siew, Pa gasiew Sidestripe rasbora Rasbora paviei - 27 Pa sotong Needlefish, Freshwater garfish Xenentodon cancila ++ 28 Pa sood Hampala barb Hampala macrolepidota ++ 29 Pa sood Eye-spot barb Hampala dispar ++ 30 Pa tong Bronze featherback Notopterus notopterus ++ Snails and Clams 31 Hoy pakkouang Apple snail Pomacea spp.