Abstract
The present study aimed to contrast the fatty acid (FA) profile of ascidians (Ascidiacea) and seaweeds (sea lettuce, Ulva spp. and bladderwrack, Fucus sp.) occurring in a coastal lagoon with versus without the influence of organic-rich effluents from fish farming activities. Our results revealed that ascidians and seaweeds from these contrasting environments displayed significant differences in their FA profiles. The n-3/n-6 ratio of Ascidiacea was lower under the influence of fish farming conditions, likely a consequence of the growing level of terrestrial-based ingredients rich on n-6 FA used in the formulation of aquafeeds. Unsurprisingly, these specimens also displayed significantly higher levels of 18:1(n-7+n-9) and 18:2n-6, as these combined accounted for more than 50% of the total pool of FAs present in formulated aquafeeds. The dissimilarities recorded in the FAs of seaweeds from these different environments were less marked (≈5%), with these being more pronounced in the FA classes of the brown seaweed Fucus sp. (namely PUFA). Overall, even under the influence of organic-rich effluents from fish farming activities, ascidians and seaweeds are a valuable source of health-promoting FAs, which confirms their potential for sustainable farming practices, such as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture.
Highlights
Marine organisms are commonly perceived as a rich source of n-3 fatty acids (FA) [1,2,3,4]whose consumption ensures health-promoting benefits against cardiovascular and neurological diseases
Aquafeeds for marine species production still include marine-based ingredients to achieve desirable FA profiles [22]. These marine-based ingredients, fish oil, are a source of essential FAs, such as n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA) 20:5n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and 22:6n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are paramount to ensure the healthy development of species being farmed, and as such, safeguard that these remain a valid source of these important nutrients in human diets [23,24]
The aquaculture industry has evolved to develop productive frameworks that target the co-production of extractive species that impair the loss of valuable nutrients; this approach has been termed integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and has gained a growing interest in the scientific community [25,26,27,28]
Summary
Marine organisms are commonly perceived as a rich source of n-3 fatty acids (FA) [1,2,3,4]. Aquafeeds for marine species production still include marine-based ingredients to achieve desirable FA profiles [22] These marine-based ingredients, fish oil, are a source of essential FAs, such as n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA) 20:5n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and 22:6n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are paramount to ensure the healthy development of species being farmed, and as such, safeguard that these remain a valid source of these important nutrients in human diets [23,24]. The FA profile of ascidians is contrasted with that of the most commercially used fish aquafeed employed in the studied location to investigate whether these filter-feeding marine organisms somehow mimicked the FA profile of those aquafeeds when grown under the influence of organic-rich effluents originating from fish farms
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