Determination of the chemical composition of the nutritionally valuable parts of male and female common West African fresh water crab Sudananautes africanus africanus

The proximate and mineral composition of the anatomical parts of adult male and female Sudananautes africanus africanus (common West African fresh water crab) were determined. The mineral composition of the ambient water was also determined. The lifeweights of the males varied between 92. 18 and 140.36 g and the values ranged between 56.95 and 102. 61 g in the females. The cheliped muscle recorded the highest value for protein and the lowest value for the total ash in both sexes, correlation coefficients (r(MF)) were positively related and high for protein (0.99), crude fat (0.84), total ash (0.99) and fibre (0.99) but negatively related in carbohydrate (- 0.49) between the two sexes. The following minerals were highly concentrated in both sexes: Ca, Mg, Zn, Ni, P, Fe, Cu, Na and K with significant differences occurring in Ca, Mg, Zn, Ni, P, Fe, Cu and K at alpha < 0.05. Bioconcentration factors were found to be particularly high in the trace heavy metals: Co, Ni and Cu. All the various parts studied were found to be very good sources of the minerals examined with the exception of Co.