JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS 12, 315}322 (1999)

Article No. jfca.1999.0824

Available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Evaluation of Clarias Anguillaris Treated with Spice

(Piper guineense) for Washed Mince
and Kamaboko-Type Product
C. A. Negbenebor1, A. A. Godiya, and J. O. Igene2
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri,
Borno State, Nigeria

Received April 6, 1998, and in revised form June 10, 1999

Fresh cat"sh (Clarias anguillaris) was prepared into washed minced "sh and treated with various
concentrations of salt and Piper guineense, to form kamaboko. The products were examined for
microbial count, trimethylamine (TMA) values, pH, water activity and sensory evaluation. The
addition of Piper guineense has no e!ect on TMA values but signi"cantly (P(0.05) reduced the
microbial count on kamaboko. The decrease was proportional to the concentration used up to
1.5% (W/W) level. Sensory evaluation results indicated that kamaboko with higher levels of
Piper guineense was rated high with regard to taste and overall acceptability but rated low with
regard to colour. ( 1999 Academic Press

Key =ords: Clarias anguillaris; minced "sh; kamaboko; Piper guineense.

INTRODUCTION

Fish is an excellent food because of the nutritive value of its muscle proteins. The
protein content of "sh varies between 14 and 22% and is comparable to that obtained
from land animals. In addition to their nutritive values, "sh muscle proteins are
utilized for their functional properties (Kudo et al., 1973).
Surimi is a Japanese term used to describe mechanically deboned "sh that has been
washed with water and mixed with cryoprotectants to enhance its shelf-life (Lee, 1984).
Minced "sh, in the form of surimi, o!ers the technologists a light coloured product
with functional properties superior to any other available protein at reasonable costs
(Lanier, 1986).
Kamaboko is a Japanese sausage-like product made from surimi (Scott et al., 1988).
The domestic "sh production in Nigeria in 1992 was 343 042 t (Federal Department of
Fisheries, 1993), and was estimated to rise to over 400 000 t by the year 2000 which is
over US$400 000 000 annually. Fish constitutes about 60% of the animal protein
needs in Nigeria and Clarias is the most preferred species accounting for about 23.9%
of the "sh market (Adeniyi, 1987).

1 To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed.

2 Formerly with University of Maiduguri, is now a$liated with Department of Animal Science, Univer-
sity of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

0889}1575/99/040315#08 $30.00/0 ( 1999 Academic Press

316 NEGBENEBOR, GODIYA AND IGENE

Post-harvest "sh losses in Nigeria is estimated at 30}55% (Negbenebor, 1990). This

is a result of inadequate handling, storage and processing techniques leading to losses
of US$123}220 million. Much of this spoilage could be reduced if such "sh are
processed to products such as washed minced "sh and kamaboko.
Minced "sh is a raw material for surimi and world demand for surimi reached
173 000 MT in 1990, a signi"cant increase from what it was in the early 1980s
(Anonymous, 1992). The allocation of the Alaskan pollack "shing limits a few years
ago in order to protect the stock has led to a global shortage of the product and
consequent tripling of surimi prices (Anonymous, 1991).
New species have been investigated as possible alternatives to Alaskan pollack as
sources for surimi product. These include arrowtooth #ounder (Babbit et al., 1993;
Reppond and Babbit, 1993) in the Paci"c Ocean, silver hake and Atlantic mackerel
(Kelleher et al., 1992; Hultin and Kim, 1994) in the Atlantic Ocean.
Piper guineense is a common spice grown and marketed in Nigeria and is used for
the #avouring of foods such as Suya (barbecued meat product), Fura (unfermented
dough) and Danwake (a snack food). Spices have been known to play a role in
imparting #avour and aroma to foods (Purseglove et al., 1981) and have also been
reported to be bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic to micro-organisms (Farrel, 1985). It is
possible that Piper guineense would have bene"cial e!ects when used on "sh and "sh
products.
The e!ect of Piper guineense on washed minced "sh and kamaboko prepared from
Clarias anguillaris (from Lake Chad district) is not well known. This study was
therefore designed to investigate the qualities of kamaboko and washed minced "sh
from Clarias anguillaris treated with and without Piper guineense.
The production and consumption of kamaboko would not only increase the variety
of "sh products available in the domestic market but would also enhance protein
intake and reduce protein malnutrition. This will also boost the revenue base of the
"sherfolk as a result of reduced post-harvest losses of their products.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The wild cat"sh Clarias anguillaris was obtained live from Maiduguri fresh "sh
market and transported to the laboratory in such a way to minimize contamination.
The spice (Masaro) Piper guineense, common salt (food grade), and casing were
obtained from Monday Market Limited, Maiduguri.

Sample Preparation

The fresh wild "sh was skinned, gutted, "lleted, washed and "nely ground using
a manual table grinder. The minced "sh was placed in an aluminium bowl, washed
4 times with potable water in a ratio of 3 : 1 (water to minced "sh), and strained using
a cheese cloth. The sample was dewatered by squeezing manually, treated with 1.5%
(W/W) common salt, and divided into four parts of 1000 g each. Each part was treated
with 0, 1.0, 1.5 and 2% (W/W) Piper guineense (Pg) separately and mixed using
a spatula for 3 min to ensure thorough distribution of Pg. Each spiced sample was
stu!ed into a casing (4 cm in diameter) made of beef intestine. The ends of the casings
were knotted with strings, placed in a rack and cooked over steam for 45 min at
a temperature of 1003C (water temperature).
They were cooled to room temperature, sliced and packaged in polyethylene
bags individually and stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2}43C for
12 days.
 EVALUATION OF C¸ARIAS ANG;I¸¸ARIS 317

Proximate Composition

The protein content was determined by the micro-Kjeldahl method (AOAC, 1984)
while the fat was extracted with petroleum ether in a Soxhlet extractor (AOAC, 1984).
The ash content was determined by incineration in a mu%e furnace (AOAC, 1984).
The moisture content was measured by the direct oven method (Pearson, 1981).

pH Determination

Ten grams of sample was homogenized with 50 mL of distilled water, and the pH of
the sample was determined using a pH meter (Kent Eil 7020).

¹rimethylamine <alue

The trimethylamine (TMA) values were measured according to the AOAC (1984)
method.

¹otal Aerobic Plate Count (¹PC)

Serial dilutions from 10 g of the sample homogenized with 90 mL of sterile diluent

were plated out separately in duplicate plates using nutrient agar. The samples were
incubated at 353C for 48 h as described by Harrigan and McCance (1976) and
Negbenebor et al. (1995).

=ater Activity

The water activity of the sample was carried out with a Rotronic Hygroscope DT
meter which measures the relative humidity (RH). The RH readings were divided by
100 to obtain the water activity.

Sensory Evaluation

Sensory evaluation was carried out by 12 panelist selected from sta! and students of
the Department of Food Science and Technology. The rating was based on a nine-
point hedonic scale ranging from 9 (like extremely) to 1 (dislike extremely). The
panelists rated for colour, texture, taste and overall acceptability as described by
Amerine et al. (1965).

Statistical Analysis

Data was subject to analysis of variance (Steel and Torrie, 1980). Duncan's multiple
range and multiple F-test (Duncan, 1955) was used to separate the di!erences among
the means.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The moisture content of washed minced "sh from Clarias anguillaris ranged from 75.1
to 77.3%, fat content from 4.7 to 5.7%, protein 9.8}11.9%, ash 3.5}3.9% (Table 1).
Moisture content obtained in this study was similar to that reported by Kudo et al.
(1973) who reported a moisture content of 76% but less than 80% reported for fresh
whiting by Hasting et al. (1990). The variation in moisture content may be due to
318 NEGBENEBOR, GODIYA AND IGENE

TABLE 1
E!ect of Piper guineense on proximate composition of washed minced "sh and kamaboko prepared
from Clarias anguillaris1

% Spice Sample Moisture (%) Fat (%) Protein (%) Ash (%)

0% PG S 77.3$0.2 5.7$0.3 12.8$0.6 3.5$0.5

0% PG K 63.8$0.4 4.6$0.4 25.6$0.4 5.6$0.4
#1% PG S 75.1$0.3 4.7$0.3 15.9$0.4 3.6$0.6
#1% PG K 64.5$2.6 4.7$0.2 24.4$0.6 5.7$0.3
#1.5% PG S 76.7$0.5 5.8$0.2 12.8$1.0 3.9$0.3
#1.5% PG K 64.7$2.3 4.9$1.0 24.2$0.8 5.8$0.3
#2% PG S 75.6$0.5 4.7$0.5 15.6$0.4 3.5$0.6
#2% PG K 65.8$2.0 4.7$2.2 23.1$0.6 5.8$0.3

1Each value is a mean $S.D. of triplicate determinations.

S"washed mince, K"kamaboko.

species di!erences and the method of washed minced preparation. The rather high
moisture content of the mince may be due to the di$culty in dewatering the mince
manually. The protein content of the mince is high and result suggests that there was
no signi"cant loss of protein from the washed mince (Kudo et al., 1973). According to
Okada (1964), Shimizu and Nishioka (1974) and Suzuki (1981) water-soluble protein
(sarcoplasmic proteins) retard gel network formation by interfering with actomyosin
crosslinking process. Hence, water washing during surimi processing is necessary to
remove sarcoplasmic proteins. The addition of Piper guineense had little or no e!ect
on the amount of ash and fat contents. The low fat contents, however, suggest that
some fat must have been lost during the washing process (Kim et al., 1996).
Following the preparation of kamaboko, there was signi"cant (P(0.05) decrease
in moisture content but an increase (P(0.05) in protein and ash contents of the
product when compared with washed minced "sh samples (Table 1). The lower
moisture content of kamaboko compared with washed minced "sh may be due to heat
denaturation of muscle protein, shrinkage and loss of its water holding capacity
(Shimizu and Nishioka, 1974) as a result of heat applied to mince in the preparation of
kamaboko (Young, 1979). The increase in the amount of protein and decreased
moisture content suggest a concentration of nutrients in the product. However, the
addition of Piper guineense has no e!ect on the amount of protein.

¹rimethylamine <alues

The trimethylamine (TMA) values of kamaboko are shown in Table 2. The TMA
values of the kamaboko samples were low when compared with those of the freshly
washed mince product. Results suggest that TMA values may be related to oxidative
conditions established during the cooking process. However, the addition of Piper
guineense did not appear to have a de"nite e!ect on the trimethylamine values of the
kamaboko from Clarias anguillaris, irrespective of concentration. Regardless of treat-
ment the TMA values reached a peak on day 9 for all samples. This might be due to the
microbial activity, conversion of trimethylamine oxide to TMA ( Jay, 1987) (Table 3).

¹otal Aerobic Plate Count

There was a high total mean log bacterial count of 5.8 CFU/g in the fresh minced-"sh
sample (Table 3). The high count might be due to the fact that minced "sh was
prepared under uncontrolled temperature and limited hygienic conditions and to the
 EVALUATION OF C¸ARIAS ANG;I¸¸ARIS 319

TABLE 2
The e!ect of Piper guineense on Trimethylamine values of kamaboko during storage at 2}43C1

Washed Trimethylamine value (Kamaboko) Mg N/100 g

Storage minced
days "sh 0% PG #1% PG #1.5% PG 2% PG

0 56.0$1.0 35.3$0.5 35.0$1.0 35.3$2.0 35.0$1.0

3 71.0$2.5 43.0$1.0 42.5$1.5 42.6$1.5 42.0$1.5
6 84.0$1.5 55.0$1.5 56.0$1.0 55.0$0.5 64.4$1.5
9 97.0$1.0 71.3$1.5 63.0$1.5 71.3$1.5 71.3$1.0
12 85.0$1.0 63.0$1.0 57.0$1.0 56.0$1.0 64.0$1.0

1 Each value is a mean and S.D. of triplicate determinations.

PG"Piper guineense.

TABLE 3
E!ect of Piper guineense on total aerobic plate count of fresh washed minced "sh
and kamaboko products stored at 2}43C1

Total aerobic plate count (Mean log CFU/g)

Fresh
washed Kamaboko
Time minced
days "sh #0% PG #1% PG #1.5% PG #2% PG

0 5.8$0.8 4.0$0.8 2.8$0.7 1.6$0.7 1.6$0.8

3 5.9$0.7 4.2$0.7 3.1$0.7 1.8$0.7 1.5$0.66
6 5.1$0.7 4.3$0.7 N.D 2.4$0.7 2.4$0.4
9 5.1$0.2 4.1$0.6 3.3$0.6 2.6$0.6 2.6$0.5
12 5.4$0.3 4.2$0.7 3.2$0.1 2.1$0.2 2.2$0.7

1 Each value is a mean and S.D. of triplicate determinations.

N.D."not determined, PG"Piper guineense.

rather high water activity (Table 4) and pH of the product. Similarly, following
cooking for 45 min at 1003C there was a mean log decrease of only 1.8 CFU/g in
bacteria count (Table 3), suggesting unsanitary experimental conditions. Sandstorms
were common in Maiduguri at the time of the experiment (January}April) and may
account for the poor sanitary condition. The addition of Piper guineense irrespective
of concentration signi"cantly decreased ( P(0.05) the total aerobic plate count of
kamaboko. This decrease in microbial count was concentration dependent up to 1.5%
(Table 3). However, there was no signi"cant di!erence ( P'0.05) in counts between
1.5 and 2% treated samples. Following storage, the counts of the treated samples
showed marginal increase up to day 9. This increase in microbial growth might be due
to the proliferation of the micro-organisms and/or reduced inhibitory e!ect of Piper
guineense. The initial decrease in microbial count of fresh product following the
addition of the spice Piper guineense indicates that it may be bene"cial to the overall
processing of kamaboko type of product in controlling the microbial quality.

=ater Activity and pH Changes

The initial water activity (aw) of the surimi (0.97) was higher than that of the
kamaboko samples (0.91}0.94) (Table 4). This is a result of the &&cook out purge'' of the
kamaboko samples following cooking at 1003C steam temperature. There was no
signi"cant di!erence ( P'0.05) in aw for the washed minced "sh samples following
320 NEGBENEBOR, GODIYA AND IGENE

TABLE 4
The e!ect of Piper guineense on water activity of washed minced "sh and kamaboko during storage at
2}43C1,2

Minced Kamaboko (Water activity)

Time washed
days "sh 0% PG #1% PG #1.5% PG #2% PG

0 0.97a 0.92a 0.94a 0.92a 0.91a

3 0.97a 0.82b 0.86b 0.86b 0.86b
6 0.96a 0.82b 0.85b 0.83b 0.84b
9 0.94a 0.82b 0.83b 0.83b 0.83b
12 0.92a 0.82b 0.81b 0.82b 0.83b

1 Each value is a mean of triplicate determinations.

2 Values under the same row having same letters are not signi"cantly di!erent ( P'0.05).
PG"Piper guineense.

TABLE 5
The e!ect of Piper guineense on sensory evaluation scores of kamaboko on day 01,2,3

% Piper Overall
guineense Colour Texture Taste acceptability

0 7.5$0.7a 7.5$0.7a 5.75$0.9a 5.5$1.0ba

#1% 7.5$0.9a 5.5$1.1b 6.1$0.8b 5.58$1.1b
#1.5% 5.9$1.1b 5.8$1.2b 7.0$0.9a 6.7$0.9a
#2% 4.5$0.9c 7.1$1.0a 7.3$0.8a 6.8$0.7a

1Each value is the mean$standard deviation of triplicate determinations.

2 The scores are based on a nine-point hedonic scale with 9 representing &&like extremely'' and 1 represent-
ing &&dislike extremely''.
3 Values under the same column having same letters (a, b, c) are not signi"cantly di!erent ( P(0.05).

storage for 12 days at 2}43C; however, there was signi"cant decrease ( P(0.05) in aw
for the kamaboko samples irrespective of treatment. Such decrease in aw will have
a marked e!ect on microbial content of product (Labuza et al., 1972). Staphylococcus
aureus has been found to grow at aw 0.86, while Clostridium botulinum does not grow
below 0.94 ( Jay, 1987).
The pH changes of kamaboko ranged from 6.4 to 7.1 during storage and was not
signi"cantly a!ected ( P'0.05) by the addition of Piper guineense. Such pH, however,
is su$cient to allow for proper gel formation (Vareltzis and Buck, 1987), which is
important in kamaboko type of product.

Sensory Evaluation

The taste panel evaluation of the product is shown in Table 5. There was no signi"cant
di!erence ( P'0.05) between the non-treated kamaboko control samples (7.5#0.7)
and the 1% Piper guineense treated samples (7.5#0.9) on the basis of colour.
However, as the concentration increased there was a signi"cant decrease ( P(0.05) in
colour rating for all the products. The rather poor rating in terms of colour following
the increase in spice concentration may be due to the presence of black dots on the
samples which increased with the concentration of spice in the sample. The addition of
Piper guineense enhanced the taste and overall acceptability of the product. This
increase was concentration dependent up to 1.5% (Table 5). This might be due to the
ability of the spices to mask the o! #avour and as a result enhance its quality
 EVALUATION OF C¸ARIAS ANG;I¸¸ARIS 321

(Purseglove et al., 1981). It is known that the fatty acid composition can in#uence the
types of volatile produced and the concentration of these volatile depends on the
concentration of fatty acids in the heated fat (Selke et al., 1980). It is also possible that
changes which occurred in the fatty acid composition of kamaboko as a result of the
addition of Piper guineense a!ected the #avour of the "sh product.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that a high-quality "sh cake (kamaboko) product can be obtained
from local cat"sh (Clarias anguillaris). This in turn would enhance "sh utilization and
reduce post-harvest losses for the local "sherfolk who would now "nd new and ready
markets for their products. The use of the spice Piper guineense imparts desirable
#avour while improving the shelf life by controlling microbial proliferation early in
the cycle. It would also save the "sh farmers millions of dollars in revenue, which
would have been lost as a result of spoilage and post-harvest losses. The consumption
of kamaboko would help redress the problem of protein malnutrition in a developing
country like Nigeria.

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