Trace minerals in tilapia fillets: Status in the United States marketplace and selenium supplementation strategy for improving consumer’s health

Abstract

This goal of this study was to highlight the importance of minerals in the diet of fish for meeting micronutrient requirements in the human diet. First arsenic, calcium, cadmium, copper, iron, molybdenum, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc concentrations of twelve commercially available tilapia samples were measured. The nutritional value of fillets in regard to their mineral content were assessed to establish potential health benefits or risks for consumers. The health benefit value of selenium was also calculated. Positive health benefit values indicate that tilapia fillets in the United States marketplace of this study do not pose health risks associated with mercury exposures. Selenium was the trace mineral of interest. After the market study, a seven-week fish feeding trial was conducted to study the influence of organic versus inorganic dietary selenium on Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ). Fish were fed two different diets enriched with the same concentration (0.01g kg -1 ) of selenium in form of inorganic (sodium selenite) or organic (seleno-L-methionine) selenium in triplicate groups. There were no significant differences between growth and biometrics of fish fed different diets ( p> 0.05). At the end of trial twelve fish from each treatment were collected. Fillets of fish fed organic selenium had selenium concentrations of 0.55 ± 0.01 μg g -1 which were significantly ( p< 0.05) higher than fish fed inorganic selenium at levels of 0.22 ± 0.008 μg g -1 or fish samples from the marketplace with a selenium level of 0.2 ± 0.03 μg g -1 . Fish fed organic selenium also had significantly higher ( p<0 . 05 ) plasma and kidney selenium in comparison to fish fed inorganic selenium. No significant differences ( p>0 . 05 ) were observed in glutathione peroxidase activities in either the plasma or liver of Nile tilapia in the different treatment groups. This study shows that organic selenium is a better option for production of Nile tilapia fillets rich in selenium.

The Impact of Lake Ecosystems on Mineral Concentrations in Tissues of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

“…Due to numerous coenzyme functions, minerals play an important role in human health, growth and development, and disease prevention [ 14 ]. Studies on mineral accumulation in fish are essential for understanding the effects associated with the consumption of fish by humans [ 15 ]. However, the role of fish as a dietary source of minerals is poorly recognized and underevaluated [ 16 ].…”

Selenium nanoparticles in aquaculture: Unique advantages in the production of Se-enriched grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

“…Se nutritional supplements have been widely used in fish production ( Barbosa et al., 2020 ; Farzad et al., 2019 ). In our previous research, we found that there is organic matter on the surface of SeNP ( Zhu et al., 2023 ), which explained that some proteins are attached to the surface of SeNP, and our further research shows that there are six kinds of selenoproteins on the surface.…”

Diphenyl diselenide‐loaded nanocapsules in silver catfish feed enhance growth, improve muscle antioxidant/oxidant status and increase selenium deposition: Advantages of nanotechnology for fish health

“…According to Farzad et al. (2019), Se is a valuable resource for including in functional feeds for aquaculture because it can promote health and growth as well as improving the quality of their meat for human consumption. According to these authors, supplementation of feed with organic Se can potentially produce fish with higher concentrations of Se.…”