Analysis of the Nutritional Content of Myocastor coypus

✍ Scribed by Richard T. Tulley; Fatemeh M. Malekian; Jennifer C. Rood; Mary B. Lamb; Catherine M. Champagne; Stephen M. Redmann Jr; Ruth Patrick; Noel Kinler; C.T. Raby

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 111 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0889-1575
• DOI: 10.1006/jfca.1999.0865

✦ Synopsis

The present investigation was designed to determine the nutritional content of Myocastor coypus (nutria). Proximates, total petroleum ether extractable fatty acids, cholesterol, iron, sodium, calcium, vitamins A and C were determined. In comparing male versus female and young versus old nutria there were no di!erences in protein and moisture; however, there were signi"cant di!erences in total petroleum ether extractable fat, ash, and cholesterol content. Average results for meat from all animals were 1.3 g for total petroleum ether extractable fat, 1.0 g ash, 22.1 g protein, 36 mg for cholesterol, 1.7 mg for iron, 67 mg for sodium, and 5.2 mg for calcium per 100 g wet weight. Nutria petroleum ether extractable fat was generally richer in saturated (43%) than mono (33%) and polyunsaturated fat (24%). As expected, nutria was not a good source of vitamins A and C. In summary, nutria is an excellent nutritional source of protein which is low in fat and cholesterol. Thus, nutria meat provides a healthy alternative food which complies with current healthy and dietary recommendations for low fat, low cholesterol diets.