Use of Enzyme Mixtures in Diets Based on Animal and Plant Ingredients for Litopenaeus vannamei: Effect on Digestibility, Growth, and Enzyme Activity

Abstract

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of adding a mixture of different exogenous enzymes at 0.005% (0.0025% for each enzyme; protease+xylanase [P/X], protease+cellulase [P/C], and xylanase+cellulase [X/C]) to diets, based on fishmeal (FM) or soybean paste (SP), on shrimp`s growth performance, survival, feed conversion, digestibility, and digestive capacity. Eight isoproteic experimental diets (FM, FM+P/X, FM+P/C, FM+X/C, SP, SP+P/X, SP+P/C, and SP+X/C) were evaluated with three replicates. Shrimps (1  0.2 g) were maintained in a recirculating system at 12 organisms/tank for 90 days. Significant differences (p ˂ 0.05) were found in all the productive parameters of L. vannamei. Compared with the control diets (FM and SP), shrimps fed with FM+P/C showed the highest final body weight (7.83 ± 0.34 g) and proteolytic activity (178.81 ± 24.49 U/mg protein), as well as the lowest feed conversion ratio (1.71 ± 0.01). In contrast, the SP+X/C group presented the highest lipolytic activity (0.0235 ± 0.0028 U/mg) and apparent digestibility (94.12 ± 0.09%). In accord with its omnivorous trophic habits, enzyme mixtures included in animal and plant based-diets improved different productive variables of L. vannamei, representing a nutritional alternative to optimize feed use in shrimp cultivation.