First report on distribution of heavy metals and proximate analysis in marine edible puffer fishes collected from Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, South India

- The proximate composition and distribution of heavy metals in different edible marine puffer fishes were evaluated.
- The results showed puffer fishes are rich in nutrients and high level of non-essential metals (Pb & Cd) than essential metals (Cu & Zn).
- Multivariate statistical analyses accessed to understand the distribution pattern of metals in different organs of fishes.
- This is the first report on the distribution of heavy metals and proximate analysis in marine edible puffer fishes from South India.
- The concentration of toxic metals (Pb & Cd) in puffer fishes showed higher concentration than the WHO recommended values.

In the present study, the heavy metal concentration in different organs (skin, tissue, liver, kidney, gill, intestine, and ovary) and muscle proximate composition were studied in marine edible puffer fishes Takifugu oblongus, Lagocephalus guentheri, Arothron hispidus, Chelonodon patoca and Arothron immaculatus collected from Mandapam fish landing centre, South east coast of India. Heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb & Zn) were analyzed in different organs for the above mentioned species. The heavy metals concentration ranges in fish organs of all the five species were Cu (0.42 -6.31 mg/kg), Cd (0.01-0.79 mg/kg), Pb (5.80-19.87 mg/kg), and Zn (6.75-65.08 mg/kg). Zn was detected higher in all the samples followed by Pb, Cu and Cd. The proximate composition was determined in edible muscle tissues of all the five species. The highest and lowest protein contents were observed in T. oblongus (20.6 ± 0.6%) and C. patoca (17.9 ± 0.3%). In the present study, heavy metal concentrations were found very high in all the internal organs when compared to muscle tissues. Further, this is the first report on distribution of heavy metals and proximate compositions of commercialized important edible puffer fishes from Mandapam coast of Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India.

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