Antioxidant Effect of Plants Aqueous Extract on Lipid Stability of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> during Traditional Sun and Smoke Drying in Far-North Cameroon

Fishes are suitable for sun drying and smoking. But their high contains\r\nof unsaturated fatty acids make them\r\nvery prone to lipid oxidation. However, some plants are rich in natural\r\nantioxidants and have been shown to be potent inhibitors of lipid oxidation\r\nduring processing of meat. The effect of three aqueous plants extracts on lipid\r\nstability of Oreochromis niloticus collected in Far-North Cameroon during processing was evaluated. Results\r\nshow the high nutritious of these fish with high levels of proteins, lipid and\r\nash (71.02%, 13.71% and 10.65%,\r\nrespectively). It has been observed that oleic acid (C18:1), followed by\r\npalmitic acid (C16:0) and linoleic acid (C18:2) are the most dominant fatty\r\nacids present in Oreochromis niloticus lipids. Their lipid also\r\nshowed a much higher content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) compared\r\nto omega 6 PUFA. The total phenolic contents (TPC) of the three plants ranged\r\nfrom 12,150 to\r\n16,050\r\nmg/100 g. The\r\nleaves of Moringa oleifera exhibited the higher content of TPC. The results of iodine, peroxide value and\r\nthiobarbituric acids test were revealed that the aqueous extracts of the tree\r\nplants had antioxidant properties. These plants extracts inhibit lipid\r\noxidation of Oreochromis niloticus during processing. Increasing of the concentration of plant extracts\r\nenhanced their antioxidant activities and the highest oxidation inhibitor was\r\nobtained at 30 g/l. Moringa oleifera leaves inhibit highly the lipid oxidation of Oreochromis niloticus.