Effect of moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf and ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome marinades on the proximate and sensory qualities of smoked African catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1822)

A lot of fish are lost after harvest due to inefficient processing and preservation techniques. This study investigated the incorporation of plant additives into smoking process of African catfish to improve its proximate and sensory properties. Fourty fish of 523.25 g average weight were randomly distributed into four groups. Three different marinades; T1 (4% moringa leaf powder), T2 (4% ginger rhizome powder), T3 (2% moringa +2% ginger) were prepared. The fish were separately marinated and hot-smoked using modified drum smoking kiln for 10 hours. Proximate analysis revealed significant differences (p0.05) among the treatments. The study concluded that marination of African catfish using combined moringa leaves and ginger rhizome significantly improved the proximate and sensory qualities of the fish.