Abstract

Bighead carp is a freshwater fish species which has been culturing widely, particularly in Northern region. At present, information about chemical composition of this fish is still limited. This research was conducted to determine chemical composition of bighead carp cultured in Khanh Hoa province. Results showed that its tissue contained moisture 77.92 %, ash 1.18 %, protein 16.48 %, and lipid 3.41 %. Fatty acid profile indicated that fish tissue was not a source, which provided essential fatty acids such as AA, EPA and DHA. Total of these three fatty acids was only 31 mg/100 g wet weight. However, its muscle consisted of fully essential amin acids, ranging from 340 mg to 1.376 mg/100 g wet weight and accounted for 48.43 % of total amino acids detected. Esstential minerals such as P, Ca, K, Na, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mg, Mn and Se were also found in the tissue.