Comprehensive assessment of nutritional value of a common beaver (Castor fiber) inhabiting the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation

In the Republic of Belarus and the Kaliningrad region, a decrease in the beaver population and use of its meat at meat processing plants is of great relevance. The aim of the present study was a comprehensive assessment of the nutritional value of beaver inhabiting the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation, including the study of the amino acid and fatty acid composition of proteins and lipids of muscle tissue and the lipoprotein part of the tail and the design of their mixture. Data is presented on the content of protein, fat, moisture, amino acids and fatty acids in the muscle tissue and the lipoprotein part of the beaver tail. The protein content in the muscle tissue made 20.2 %, in the lipoprotein part of the tail – 6.0 %, fat content – 5.1 and 85.1 %, respectively. The amino acid composition of the parts of the beaver carcass is represented by all essential amino acids, however, a number of indicators show an imbalance in the amino acid composition of the protein. To solve the problem of imbalance of essential amino acids, a combined mixture of muscle tissue and lipid-and-protein part of the tail was calculated with an optimal ratio of 72 to 28 %. The protein composition of this mixture is characterized by high biological value – 75 % and a special balance index – 0.87. At the same time, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the combined mixture is 46.6 % of the total mass of lipids, which significantly exceeds the content of saturated (18.3 %) or monounsaturated (35.1 %) fatty acids. Also, the content of essential fatty acids linolic and linoleic is quite high and amounts to 24.0 g / 100 g of lipids and 21.3 g / 100 g of lipids. The engineered blend is a rich source of essential fatty acids. The conducted studies have resulted in actual data on the chemical composition and safety indicators of the river beaver inhabiting the Kaliningrad region, as well as in the optimal ratio of muscle tissue and the lipoprotein part of the beaver tail.

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