Vitamin-A content of mola carplet (Amblypharyngodon mola) – a small indigenous species from different waterscapes in Bangladesh

Abstract:

Micronutrient deficiency, particularly in vitamin A, continues to pose a significant public health challenge in Bangladesh, with an alarming 60% of the population lacking adequate intake of this essential nutrient. Mola carplet (Amblypharyngodon mola) has gained attention as a potential solution to combat vitamin-A deficiency due to its relatively high vitamin-A content. Vitamin A1 (Retinol) is the usable form whereas vitamin A2 is a less common variant that our bodies can convert into usable retinol. Given the significance of mola in Bangladeshi diet, the present study’s objective was to assess the vitamin-A1 (retinol) & A2 (3,4-didehydroretinol) levels in head, muscle and whole body of mola fish (Amblypharyngodon mola) obtained from seven aquatic agro-ecologies including: haor, baor, river, aquaculture ponds, gher and rice-fish field. The fish were cleaned using customary methods in order to extract edible portions. Samples collected from each site were divided into three sub-groups: the Whole fish, Head including eyes and Muscle. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze the concentration of vitamin A1 & A2. The highest levels of vitamin A1 were observed in the head, followed by the whole fish, and then the muscle tissue. Similarly, for vitamin A2, the highest concentrations were found in the head, followed by the whole fish, and subsequently in the muscle tissue. Whole mola fish from gher habitat contained the highest Vitamin A1 (2027 µg/100g), while river samples had the lowest (192 µg/100g). The highest Vitamin A2 was in pond (wild source) fish (11500 µg/100g), with the lowest in rice fish fields (3208 µg/100g). Head of mola from haor had the most Vitamin A1 (2638 µg/100g) and Vitamin A2 (33043 µg/100g), while heads from pond (wild source) and river had the least. This study also indicates that whole mola fish from most habitats (baor, gher, haor, pond, rice fish field, river) are significant providers of vitamin A1 for infants, pregnant women, and lactating women.