BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 24, Number 7, July 2023 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 4027-4033 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d240740 SDS-PAGE protein profile of albumin extracted by steaming from four marine and three brackish-water fishes NUR FATMA 1,♥ , METUSALACH 2 , NURPUDJI ASTUTI TASLIM 3 , MALA NURILMALA 4 1 Doctoral Program in Fisheries Science, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.  email: nurfatma104@gmail.com 2 Fisheries Processing Technology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia 3 Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin. Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM. 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia 4 Aquatic Product Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Jl. Raya Darmaga, Kampus IPB, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia Manuscript received: 14 June 2023. Revision accepted: 22 July 2023. Abstract. Fatma N, Metusalach, Taslim NA, Nurilmala M. 2023. SDS-PAGE protein profile of albumin extracted by steaming from four marine and three brackish-water fishes. Biodiversitas 24: 4027-4033. Snakehead fish is a type of fish that has been known as the best source of fish albumin. However, the increasing demand for and exploitation of snakehead fish albumin is not accompanied by the availability of sustainable snakehead fish stocks. Snakehead fish stocks in nature continue to experience depletion and cultivation efforts that have been carried out so far have not yielded satisfactory results. For this reason, it is necessary to find alternative sources of fish albumin. The purpose of this study was to determine the molecular weight of the albumin proteins extracted by water bath steaming from four marine fishes (Indian scad Decapterus russelli, short-bodied mackerel Rastrelliger brachysoma, goldband fusilier Pterocaesio chrysozona, Japanese threadfin bream Nemipterus japonicus) and three brackish-water fishes (white-lipped eel catfish Paraplotosus albilabris, barramundi Lates calcarifer, milkfish Chanos chanos). The method used was Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) electrophoresis. Each sample was steamed in a water bath at 50°C for 30 minutes to obtain the crude extract's optimal yield and albumin content. The molecular weights of each protein band were analyzed using the Photocapt application, visualized and tabulated, and analyzed descriptively. Indian scad had six protein bands with three major (48 kD, 37 kD, 32 kD) and three minor bands (66 kD, 25 kD, 15 kD). Shortbodied mackerel had one major protein band (26 kD). Goldband fusilier had one major (33 kD) and four minor bands (50 kD, 69 kD, 57 kD, 26 kD). Japanese threadfin bream had one major (62 kD) and three minor bands (171 kD, 72 kD, 26 kD). White-lipped eel catfish had two major (41 kD, 34 kD and two minor bands (70 kD, 26 kD). Barramundi had one major (26 kD) and two minor bands (171 kD, 87 kD). Milkfish had one major (41 kD) and four minor bands (333 kD, 135 kD, 31 kD, 25 kD). It is hoped that this research will provide information on which fish have the potential as a source of fish albumin in terms of protein composition which resembles snakehead fish so that the properties provided are as good as albumin from snakehead fish. Keywords: Albumin extract, marine/brackish-water fishes, protein profile, SDS-PAGE INTRODUCTION People in several countries have long believed that fish protein, especially striped snakehead (Channa striata) extract, has therapeutic properties beneficial to human health and wellbeing (Haniffa et al. 2014). In several areas of Sulawesi, Indonesia, snakeheads have been used in traditional medicine. For example, in South Sulawesi, snakeheads are often prepared for women to eat after giving birth, as it is thought that consuming this fish will speed up the women's recovery and enhance breast milk production. Recent research has shown that snakefish consumption can promote the healing of perineal wounds in postpartum mothers (Purwanti et al. 2019). Albumin is a protein normally present in plasma at levels ranging from 3.5 to 5 g dl -1 , around 55% to 60% of total serum protein, and also be found in interstitial and lymph fluids in concentrations up to 40-60% of the plasma level (Hülshoff et al. 2013; Soedjanaatmadja et al. 2021; Belinskaia et al. 2021). Albumin plays several important roles, including forming new cells, accelerating wound healing, and maintaining blood osmotic pressure (Belinskaia et al. 2021). Low albumin levels in blood serum can impair the binding and transport of endogenous and exogenous compounds, including drugs, throughout the body. Medical professionals have administered intravenous infusions of Human Serum Albumin (HSA), extracted from blood serum to substitute for low patient albumin levels, but this treatment is expensive (Soedjanaatmadja et al. 2021), and the high cost has made this treatment inaccessible to many people in Indonesia (Tungadi 2020). Snakehead extract has also been shown to benefit patients with low albumin levels associated with the symptoms or complications of diseases such as tuberculosis (Fadhilah and Sari 2021), malnutrition and nephrotic syndrome (Herumuryawan and Hardaningsih 2017; Gilda and Muryawan 2017; Muryawan et al. 2019; Pratiwi 2021), liver disease (Yulianda 2020), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), possibly also diabetes, gastritis, and ulcers (Yulizal et al. 2020; Hadisaputro and Sunarjo 2021; Saraswati