Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito do beneficiamento sobre o valor nutricional do peixe mandim (Arius spixii) comercializado em Maceió-AL, determinaram-se nas suas formas in natura e beneficiada (salgado-seco) a composição centesimal, valor calórico, cloretos, perfil de ácidos graxos e colesterol, sendo também analisada a ocorrência de óxidos de colesterol. Os resultados obtidos para o mandim in natura e beneficiado, respectivamente, de umidade (70,13% e 40,31%), proteínas (51,73% e 38,07%, base seca), carboidratos (4,67% e 2,24%, base seca), calorias (486 kcal/100g e 367 kcal/100g, base seca), ácidos graxos (poliinsaturados 14,54% e 15,49%, ômega-3 8,51% e 6,51%), colesterol (82,66 mg/100g e 61,30 mg/100g) e óxidos (7-cetocolesterol 8,31 µg/g e 17,90 µg/g), permitiram concluir que o beneficiamento favoreceu alterações significativas no valor nutricional do mandim.

In an attempt to analyze how processing enhances the nutritional value of the mandim fish (Arius spixii) marketed in Maceió-AL, Brazil, the following nutritional components were determined in fresh and processed (salted-dried) fish: centesimal composition, calorie count, chloride, fatty acid and cholesterol profile. The presence of cholesterol oxides was also investigated. Respective results for fresh and processed mandim fish were: moisture (70.13% and 40.31%), proteins (51.73% and 38.07%, dried), carbohyrdrates (4.67% and 2.24%, dried), calories (486 kcal/100g and 367 kcal/100g, dried), fatty acids (polyunsaturared 14,54% and 15,49%, ômega-3 8,51% and 6,51%), cholesterol (82.66 mg/100g and 61.30 mg/100g) and oxides (7-ketocholesterol 8.31 µg/g and 17.90 µg/g). These figures clearly showed that processing led to significant change in the nutritional value of the mandim fish.