Abstract:
This study assessed effects of chunk sizes and different agro wastes(Charcoal ,maize cob and Saw dust); as energy sources on storage characteristics of Citrus peel Oil coated and uncoated smoked cat fish (clarias gariepinus). Sixty four matured cat fish (Clarias gariepinus) of average size of 1.2kg were purchased from Dagama Fisheries in Akure. The fish samples were eviscerated immediately after capture carefully degutted and washed with clean water to remove blood and slime, while the body was cut into three different sizes 3 cm, 5 cm, 8 cm respectively. The fish samples were smoked in a smoking kiln at a temperature of 70 ±50C until equilibrium moisture contents were attained using different agro waste e.g sawdust and; charcoal from LophiraAlata (eki) and maize cob. Essential oil was extracted from orange peel using hydro distillation method and stored in a glass container and refrigerated in the dark at 40C. The extracted oil from was used to coat a portion of the smoke cat fish chunks while uncoated samples were used as control . Each sample was sealed in a polythene bag and all the samples were stored at ambient temperature (280C ± 20C). Storage qualities were monitored for six weeks. The crude protein content of the smoked cat fish sample from week 0-6 ranged between 58.39% of 3 cm catfish smoked with sawdust uncoated at (week six(6) to 68.28% of 8cm catfish smoked with maize cob coated with citrus peel oil at (week zero (0). The protein content was significantly decreasing as the storage time was increasing; Fat content ranged from 10.58% in 3 cm cat fish smoked with sawdust uncoated (week 6) to 13.65% 8cm cat fish smoked with charcoal coated with citrus peel oil (week 0). The fat content was decreasing as the storage time increased; Ash content ranged from 6.05% 3 cm cat fish smoked with sawdust uncoated (week 0) to 8.61% 8 cm cat fish smoked with maize cob coated with citrus peel oil (week 6) the ash content increased significantly during the weeks of storage;. The peroxide value (PV), Free Fatty Acid (FFA), Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN),
