Fish Feed Research Articles

Integration of physics learning content in the context of automatic machine design of fish feed throwers based on solar cells arduino IOT system

The utilization of aquaculture, especially in freshwater fish farming potential, is still not optimal. In general, fish feeding is still done manually and depends on human resources which is done simply. So an automatic fish feed thrower based on solar cells was designed to minimize the risk of delays in feeding fish. This innovation can be integrated in learning where it is adapted to physics content. This research uses a mix of methods with data collection techniques in the form of observations related to the surrounding environment and the learning process, documentation in the form of learning tools such as syllabus, lesson plans, curriculum, documentation, questionnaires, testing feed machine tools and literature studies. This research instrument is in the form of descriptive observation sheets, observation analysis sheets testing feed machine tools. Analytical techniques in this study use descriptive, qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. The results of this research are in the form of content integration in physics learning in the context of designing a solar cell-based automatic fish feed throwing machine consisting of 6 physics contents that are adapted to the context of solar cell-based automatic fish feed throwing machines. The results of this study show that the application of the use of an automatic machine for throwing fish feed based on solar cells can be used as a source of learning, especially in physics subjects.

A Review on Chicken Feather Flour Potential for Fish Feed

The escalating demand for chicken meat over the years has led to a corresponding increase in waste generation, particularly chicken feathers. While efforts such as making dusters and cocks have been undertaken to address this issue, they have yielded limited success in effectively managing chicken feather waste. Given the significant levels of nutrients, including protein and amino acids, present in this waste, it holds immense potential as a raw material for fish feed. However, the utilization of chicken feather waste remains relatively uncommon due to the challenging digestibility of its large crude protein structure, primarily composed of keratin protein. Thus, preprocessing is essential to degrade the keratin within chicken feathers, rendering it digestible for fish. This review aims to provide an overview of the potential utilization of chicken feather meal in aquaculture, particularly in fish feed formulations, by exploring its nutritional value and various processing methods to enhance the quality of this raw material.

Impact of extrusion temperature and moisture incorporation on nutrient digestibility in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) diet

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of extrusion temperature and moisture incorporation procedure on nutrient digestibility of diets fed to barramundi (Lates calcarifer). A single premix was processed under six contrasted extrusion processing conditions, with extruder barrel temperatures set at 100 °C and 110 °C, and liquid water either incorporated in the preconditioner, in the barrel, or in both. In a subsequent 33-day feeding trial, grow-out fish (758.3 ± 24.5 g) were fed the 6 diets and apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) were assessed for 42 fatty acids, 17 amino acids, protein, lipids and energy. Digestibility of protein (92.3–93.7%), lipid (84.1–89.4%), and energy (69.4–75.2%) also remained unaffected by extrusion settings (P > 0.05). However, lower extrusion temperature and moisture incorporation in both preconditioner and barrel resulted in higher digestibility of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), omega-3, omega-6 and 22:6 docosahexaenoic n-3 (DHA). Moreover, lower extrusion temperature significantly improved ADCs of essential amino acids, except lysine, histidine, and threonine (P < 0.05). The results showed no significant impact (P > 0.05) of the tested extrusion parameters on fish growth (TGC: 2.11 ± 0.17), feed intake, or feed conversion performance (FCR: 1.67 ± 0.13). The study unveils diverse responses to extrusion temperature and moisture levels regarding amino acid and fatty acid digestibility. These findings highlight the advantages of preconditioning during the extrusion process to enhance fatty acid digestibility.

The effect of dietary administration of Saussurea lappa root on performance, blood biochemical indices, redox status, innate immune response, intestinal microbial population and resistance against A. hydrophila infections of Tilapia Fingerlings.

This experiment was performed to identify the influence of dietary Saussurea lappa root (SLR) on the performance and general health status of Nile Tilapia fingerlings (O. niloticus). Four formulated diets with different SLR levels of 0.0, 2.5, 5 and 10 g/kg, respectively, were afforded to fingerling fish (15.42 ± 0.05 g) for 8 weeks. The feed efficiency ratio (FER), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio varied with dietary SLR level in a linear model and a high feed efficiency rate was recorded at the 10 g/kg group, while FI and FCR exhibited an opposite trend (P < 0.001). Dietary SLR level influenced serum protein constituents, liver and renal function enzymes, triglycerides, cholesterol and glucose (P < 0.001). Serum Catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) remarkedly increased with dietary SLR level and attained a level at 10 g/kg. Furthermore, serum lysozyme, complement C3 (C3), IgA and IgD were stimulated by 10 g/kg SLR. Intestinal digestive enzymes (lipase and amylase) increased with SLR level up to 10 g/kg. As the dietary SLR level raised, the cumulative survival percentage aginst A. hydrophila challenge increased and then reached a maximum at 10 g/kg SLR group. Moreover, gene expression of pro-inflammation cytokines (TNF-2a, IL-1β, and IL-10) in liver and kidney transcriptomes demonstrated effective immunostimulant capabilities of greater SLR inclusion levels in fish diet. Meanwhile, intestinal microbial investigation, revealed that high levels of SLR in tilapia fish feed significantly suppressed total bacterial count, and pathogenic bacterial count (such as, E. coli, Coliform, Aeromonas spp, Pseudomonas spp.), and stimulated lactic acid bacteria development. Finally, it is recommended to include a high level of SLR (5 or 10 g/kg) in the diet of O. niloticus fingerlings to enhance feed efficiency, antioxidant characteristics, and immunological response against bacterial infections.

Augmenting Aquaculture Efficiency through Involutional Neural Networks and Self-Attention for Oplegnathus Punctatus Feeding Intensity Classification from Log Mel Spectrograms.

Understanding the feeding dynamics of aquatic animals is crucial for aquaculture optimization and ecosystem management. This paper proposes a novel framework for analyzing fish feeding behavior based on a fusion of spectrogram-extracted features and deep learning architecture. Raw audio waveforms are first transformed into Log Mel Spectrograms, and a fusion of features such as the Discrete Wavelet Transform, the Gabor filter, the Local Binary Pattern, and the Laplacian High Pass Filter, followed by a well-adapted deep model, is proposed to capture crucial spectral and spectral information that can help distinguish between the various forms of fish feeding behavior. The Involutional Neural Network (INN)-based deep learning model is used for classification, achieving an accuracy of up to 97% across various temporal segments. The proposed methodology is shown to be effective in accurately classifying the feeding intensities of Oplegnathus punctatus, enabling insights pertinent to aquaculture enhancement and ecosystem management. Future work may include additional feature extraction modalities and multi-modal data integration to further our understanding and contribute towards the sustainable management of marine resources.

Europium Nanoparticle-Based Lateral Flow Strip Biosensors for the Detection of Quinoxaline Antibiotics and Their Main Metabolites in Fish Feeds and Tissues.

Olaquindox (OLA) and quinocetone (QCT) have been prohibited in aquatic products due to their significant toxicity and side effects. In this study, rapid and visual europium nanoparticle (EuNP)-based lateral flow strip biosensors (LFSBs) were developed for the simultaneous quantitative detection of OLA, QCT, and 3-methyl-quinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid (MQCA) in fish feed and tissue. The EuNP-LFSBs enabled sensitive detection for OLA, QCT, and MQCA with a limit of detection of 0.067, 0.017, and 0.099 ng/mL (R2 ≥ 0.9776) within 10 min. The average recovery of the EuNP-LFSBs was 95.13%, and relative standard deviations were below 9.38%. The method was verified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the test results were consistent. Therefore, the proposed LFSBs serve as a powerful tool to monitor quinoxalines in fish feeds and their residues in fish tissues.

Astaxanthin Supplementation as a Potential Strategy for Enhancing Mitochondrial Adaptations in the Endurance Athlete: An Invited Review.

Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant found in marine organisms such as microalgae and krill, may offer ergogenic benefits to endurance athletes. Originally used in fish feed, astaxanthin has shown a greater ability to mitigate various reactive oxygen species and maintain the structural integrity of mitochondria compared to other exogenous antioxidants. More recent work has shown that astaxanthin may improve: (1) cycling time trial performance, (2) cardiorespiratory measures such as submaximal heart rate during running or cycling, (3) recovery from delayed-onset muscle soreness, and (4) endogenous antioxidant capacity such as whole blood glutathione within trained populations. In this review, the history of astaxanthin and its chemical structure are first outlined before briefly describing the various adaptations (e.g., mitochondrial biogenesis, enhanced endogenous antioxidant capacity, etc.) which take place specifically at the mitochondrial level as a result of chronic endurance training. The review then concludes with the potential additive effects that astaxanthin may offer in conjunction with endurance training for the endurance athlete and offers some suggested practical recommendations for athletes and coaches interested in supplementing with astaxanthin.

Gyrodactylus in the spotlight: how exposure to light impacts disease and the feeding behavior of the freshwater tropical guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

Artificial light at night (ALAN) negatively impacts organisms in many ways, from their feeding behaviors to their response and ability to deal with disease. Our knowledge of ALAN is focused on hosts, but we must also consider their parasites, which constitute half of all described animal species. Here, we assessed the impact of light exposure on a model host-parasite system (Poecilia reticulata and the ectoparasitic monogenean Gyrodactylus turnbulli). First, parasite-free fish were exposed to 12:12 h light:dark (control) or 24:0 h light:dark (ALAN) for 21 days followed by experimental infection. Second, naturally acquired G. turnbulli infections were monitored for 28 days during exposure of their hosts to a specified light regime (6:18 h, 12:12 h, or 24:0 h light:dark). Experimentally infected fish exposed to constant light had, on average, a greater maximum parasite burden than controls, but no other measured parasite metrics were impacted. Host feeding behavior was also significantly affected: fish under ALAN fed faster and took more bites than controls, whilst fish exposed to reduced light fed slower. Thus, ALAN can impact parasite burdens, even in the short term, and altering light conditions will impact fish feeding behavior. Such responses could initiate disease outbreaks or perturb food-webs with wider ecological impacts.

Study of the influence of fish feeding on the example of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) under conditions of chemical pollution of the aquatic environment

The study of the influence of chemicals in the aquatic environment on the nutrition of fish, which lead to gradual pollution of the aquatic environment and violation of living conditions, and the development of methods for improving the nutritional properties of fish, which is an important branch of science that combines fish biology, in-depth study of nutrition and rational management, has been established fish resources and environmental sustainability. In recent years, a significant amount of research has been conducted aimed at understanding the relationships between fish nutrition, their development and the quality of fish products, the influence of chemicals on these processes in today's conditions using the example of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). Analyzing the data, it was found that the quality of fish nutrition depends on the quality and composition of water, which affects the growth, development and health of fish. Considering the requirements of nutrients such as proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, good nutrition can improve the quality of fish production. Special attention is paid to the role of proteins in the metabolism of fish using the example of cyprinus carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), growth and development, as well as adaptation to the interesting study of the composition of tissue proteins of carp during cadmium and lead intoxication. This year's carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), which is a widespread object of pond culture in Ukraine, was used for the experiment. A detailed analysis indicates that taking into account the effect of toxic substances on fish nutrition is necessary to ensure their health and optimal fish production. The development of new feeding strategies and the use of special additives is becoming a key aspect not only for improving the quality of products, but also for ensuring compliance with safety standards and environmental sustainability in the field of aquaculture and fisheries. Such research identifies new ways to create sustainable and healthy fish populations, contributing to the coordinated development of the agro-industrial sector and the preservation of aquatic ecosystems.

Loss of Gcn2 exacerbates gossypol induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation in zebrafish

Gossypol, a naturally occurring compound found in cottonseed meal, shows promising therapeutic potential for human diseases. However, within the aquaculture industry, it is considered an antinutritional factor. The incorporation of cottonseed meal into fish feed introduces gossypol, which induces intracellular stresses and hinders overall health of farmed fish. The aim of this study is to determine the role of General control nonderepressible 2 (gcn2), a sensor for intracellular stresses in gossypol-induced stress responses in fish. In the present study, we established two gcn2 knockout zebrafish lines. A feeding trial was conducted to assess the growth-inhibitory effect of gossypol in both wild type and gcn2 knockout zebrafish. The results showed that in the absence of gcn2, zebrafish exhibited increased oxidative stress and apoptosis when exposed to gossypol, resulting in higher mortality rates. In feeding trial, dietary gossypol intensified liver inflammation in gcn2−/− zebrafish, diminishing their growth and feed conversion. Remarkably, administering the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) was effective in reversing the gossypol induced oxidative stress and apoptosis, thereby increasing the gossypol tolerance of gcn2−/− zebrafish. Exposure to gossypol induces more severe mitochondrial stress in gcn2−/− zebrafish, thereby inducing metabolic disorders. These results reveal that gcn2 plays a protective role in reducing gossypol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis, attenuating inflammation responses, and enhancing the survivability of zebrafish in gossypol-challenged conditions. Therefore, maintaining appropriate activation of Gcn2 may be beneficial for fish fed diets containing gossypol.

Electromyographic Analysis of Upper- and Lower-extremity Muscles in Adults during Agro-healing Activities

This study investigated the activity of upper- and lower-extremity muscles for 15 agricultural tasks of agro-healing. For the development of an agro-healing program using farm resource types, 15 selected agro-healing activities (namely, digging, raking, fertilizing, planting transplants, tying plants to stakes, watering, harvesting, washing, cutting, cooking, collecting natural objects, decorating natural objects, interacting with dogs, walking dogs, and feeding fish) were extracted and performed in a total of 21 adults (average age: 42.29 ± 14.76 years) at D Care Farm in Cheongju, Korea, from June to July 2022. Before these activities, informed consent was obtained from participants and muscle activity of the upper and lower extremities was measured. Muscle activation during activity performance was measured using electromyography (EMG), and the rating of perceived exertion for each activity was investigated. Bipolar surface EMG electrodes were attached at 16 locations on the left and right upper-extremity muscles (anterior deltoid, biceps brachialis, brachioradialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris) and lower-extremity muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius). The results indicated that the activity of the lower-extremity muscles was higher than that of the upper-extremity muscles during 15 agricultural activities. During plant-mediated activity and animal-assisted activities, the rate of right muscle use was higher than that of left muscle use among the upper-extremity muscles, whereas the rate of right and left muscle use showed a similar tendency among the lower-extremity muscles. During plant-mediated activities, agricultural activities involving the use of heavy tools highly activated the right forearm muscle (flexor carpi ulnaris), whereas holding and interacting with animals highly activated the left forearm muscles (biceps brachialis, brachioradialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris). It is expected that the EMG data obtained in this study can be used as basic biomechanical data when designing an agro-healing program to improve physical function.

Some recent advancements in fish nutrition and feed technology in India

The advancements in fish nutrition outlined here provide a promising picture of a thriving and sustainable aquaculture industry. By embracing these innovations, exploring alternative ingredients, optimising nutrient utilisation, and tailoring feed strategies to specific systems, we can confidently navigate the future of seafood production, ensuring food security for generations to come while safeguarding the health of our planet. In the pursuit of sustainable aquaculture, researchers have focused on eco-friendly nutritional strategies, aiming to minimize environmental impact and conserve natural resources. Nutrient recycling, a fundamental concept in sustainable aquaculture, involves utilizing fish waste as organic fertilizer for plant crops resulting in a circular economy and reducing the carbon footprint. . KEYWORDS :Fish Nutrition, Feed Technology, Recent Advancement

Development of gadgets and systems in plastic for use in freshwater aquaculture

The usage of plastics has transformed the agricultural production sector and has great impactin improving the overall scenario in all production systems including fisheries and aquaculture.Nylon fishnets, components of RAS, aquaponics and biofloc (BF)systems, plastic pipe framed nylon net cages, pen culture in water locked areas, etc. are some of the important uses of plastics in aquaculture. The AICRP on PEASEM, ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar Centre is working since its inception in 1988 and contributed several plasticulture technologies and products for the development of aquaculture systems and processes (APA/CIFA 1988-2005; Mohapatra et.al., 2003, 2011 and 2016). The design and fabrication of the plastic gadgets and systems have been done considering the biological requirements of the aquaculture. The developed technologies are fully or partially adopted and accepted by the farming communities of the country. The paper presents some of the developed gadgets and systems that are presently in use in aquaculture in the country. Those are portable FRP carp hatchery having capacity of 1.0-1.2 million spawn production per cycle; portable FRP magur hatchery for incubation of 50,000 eggs per cycle; portable FRP pabda hatchery for production of 25,000-30,000 early fry per operation; different types of fixed and floating cages; live fish transportation tank of 1200l capacity which can be transported in a jeep trailer, power trailer or trolley; FRP silos of different sizes for fish rearing; feeders of different types such as demand, semiautomatic and automatic for fish feeding; plastic covered ponds for raising fishes in winter season; floating nursery for fish seed and aquaponics.. KEYWORDS :Modern farming Technique, Gedgets Plastic, Aquaculture

Effect of Solid-State Fermentation on Phytochemical and Proximate Composition of Millet Bran Meal

The majority of a fish farm's overall operating expenses involve costs related to feeds. Commercial feeds are often too expensive for fish farmers. Consequently, farmers do use agricultural by-products and locally available fish feed ingredients to improve pond productivity and minimise cost. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of solid-state fermentation on phytochemical components and proximate composition of millet bran meal for possible incorporation in fish feed production. Millet bran was collected in three different bowls, ground to powder, and then sieved and fermented using a solid-state fermentation procedure. Each sample was fermented (wet at 10% moisture and kept in a container at ambient temperature) for 24 hours (1 day), 96 hours (4 days), and 168 hours (7 days). Afterwards, the fermented samples were sun-dried for 94 hours (4 days approximately). Quantitative phytochemical screening was carried out on the samples which were analysed for proximate composition. The results revealed that fermenting millet bran for seven days (168hrs) using solid-state fermentation method reduced the alkaloid content from 14.69±1.24 to 10.12±0.16, phytate from 5.73±1.32 to 3.25±0.73, tannins from 6.62±0.53 to 4.62±0.84, oxalate from 17.78±1.65 to 13.82±0.53. However, it increases flavonoids from 11.95±1.82 to 13.08±1.35 and phenols from 23.78±1.65 to 31.71±0.62. The study also elucidates an increase in crude protein from 9.23±0.64 to 19.77±0.53 and a reduction in crude fibre from 7.41±0.52 to 6.02±1.14. This study demonstrates that solid-state fermented millet bran meal can be incorporated as an essential part of feed production.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MAGGOT (Hermetia illucens) AS CATFISH FEED IN AQUAPONIC FARMING SYSTEMS

The nutritional composition of maggots can be utilized as a substitute for pellets to reduce the cost of purchasing fish feed through an aquaponic system integrated with spinach plants. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of maggots as catfish feed in an aquaponic farming system. The study was conducted from February to July 2021 at the Agroecotechnology Experimental Farm of Trilogy University, Jakarta. Meanwhile, maggot proximate testing was carried out at the Center for Agro Industry, Bogor, West Java. The experiment employed a one-factor Randomized Group Design (RAK) (catfish feed) with three levels: pellets (P0), maggot (P1), and a combination of pellets and maggot (P2). The results showed that using maggot as a substitute for catfish feed in the aquaponic system was considered effective because the weight and length of catfish harvested were as good as those fed with pellets. However, the growth of spinach plants integrated with catfish through the aquaponic system is still not optimal compared to conventional cultivation in general. Nevertheless, the growth results were still better than those integrated with catfish fed with pellet or combination feed. The spinach growth results indicated that the plant had a height of 18.20 cm, a total of 6.14 strands of leaves, a stem diameter of 2.25 mm, a root length of 35.51 cm, and a weight of 20.97 grams.

Selenium‐chitosan engineered nanocomposite as efficient formulated fish diet evaluated for sustainable aquaculture practice of Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) fishes

AbstractOreochromis niloticus a Nile tilapia fish is widely used for fish culture practice in many countries for its easy acclimatization and high yield at a short pace of time. Selenium‐chitosan (SeCh) nanoparticles are efficiently used in agriculture, medicine, and aquaculture practices in several studies. The significant approach of Selenium‐Chitosan incorporated fish feed will be evaluated in the present study to achieve the better aquaculture practice in future. In the present study, SeCh nanoparticle was chemically synthesized and incorporated with formulated fish feed. Selenium formulated fish feed contains 31.49 g of carbohydrates and 41.52 g of proteins. SeCh‐fed O. niloticus fingerlings exhibited significantly increased specific growth rates in terms of weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. Chemical characterization of SeChNPs through FTIR spectroscopy indicates the presence of an adjuvant combination of selenium and chitosan presence through functional groups of COO stretch, CH, CC, and CN stretch representing at 3226, 2878, and 1734 cm−1, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDX analysis revealed the structural properties of SeChNPs as a fibrous pattern that contains Carbon, Oxygen, and Selenium elements as predominant peak values. SeChNPs incorporated fish feed has higher protein content which is a standard hallmark for a fish feed and an essential prerequisite for fish growth. The formulated SeCh fish feed in the present study is an innovative approach which can be taken further for higher level testing and processing for developing as a better fish feed in terms of feasible and efficient fish growth enhancer.

Antibacterial and gut health effects of Amomum tsao-ko in aquatic feed: A sustainable alternative to chemical antibiotics.

Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemarie (Zingiberaceae), an aromatic plant, has been considered to have diverse medicinal values and economic significance. It has been reported to possess antibacterial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects. With the increasing risk of diseases in aquaculture, there is a need for alternative solutions to chemical antibiotics. Plant extracts have shown promise as natural feed additives for aquatic animals. In this study, the antibacterial effect of Amomum tsao-ko crude extracts was evaluated using the Oxford cup method. The extracts exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis. Furthermore, the addition of Amomum tsao-ko to fish feed resulted in notable changes in the gut structure of zebrafish and tilapia. The length and morphology of intestinal villi were enhanced, promoting improved digestion. Analysis of the gut microbial community revealed that Amomum tsao-ko supplementation induced key changes in the gut microbial community composition of both zebrafish and tilapia. Notably, a 1% inclusion of Amomum tsao-ko resulted in a marked rise in Proteobacteria levels in zebrafish, which diminished at 10% dosage. The supplement elicited mixed reactions among other bacterial phyla like Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobiota. Fluctuations were also observed at the genus level, pointing to the concentration of Amomum tsao-ko playing a pivotal role in influencing the structure of intestinal bacteria. The findings of this study suggest that Amomum tsao-ko has antibacterial properties and can positively influence the gut health of fish. The potential use of Amomum tsao-ko as a natural feed additive holds promise for improving aquaculture practices and reducing reliance on chemical antibiotics. Further research is needed to explore the full potential and applications of Amomum tsao-ko in fish feed development.

How do fish consume microplastics? An experimental study on accumulation pattern using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The aim of this study was to investigate microplastic (MP) exposure by Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in laboratory conditions. A total of 150 tilapia fishes were equally distributed randomly in 15 different glass tanks with five experimental conditions. Observed results depicted that the presence of MPs in different organs was mainly accumulated from the fish feed rather than externally added MPs in the culture tanks. It was also revealed that the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was found to be the most susceptible to MPs accumulation followed by gills and muscles in order. However, muscle contained the least size of MPs followed by GITs and gills. A statistical test showed significant correlations among the average length and weight of fish with MP exposure. A filamentous shape was found to be dominant in both GITs and gills while fragment shape was dominant in muscles. FTIR results revealed a total of 12 different polymers in the fish of which two polymers (polyvinyl alcohol and ethylene vinyl acetate) were not detected in the feed-only tanks. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were found to be dominant polymers in all the experimental GIT, gills, and muscle organs. FESEM results indicated the presence of different textures including cracks, edges, flakes, scratches, grooves, and adhering particles. EDX results exhibited the presence of Na, Si, K, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Cd in the analyzed samples that may pose additional health risks. Thus, this study could act as baseline data for laboratory-based studies of aquaculture species in future research.

Sustainable Fish Feed: A Comprehensive Life Cycle Analysis

The concept of sustainability is used as an interpretation in terms of three dimensions - environmental, economic, and social dimensional balance. Several methodologies and tools have been developed to enable sustainability assessment in different sectors and different scales. To assess sustainability, it is necessary to clearly define the system and its elements and to select the appropriate indicators. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, but combining several methods can help overcome a weakness. The aquaculture sector continues to grow all over the world and therefore, to reduce the impact of the sector, it is necessary to evaluate reasonable alternatives. The aim of the study is to evaluate several fish feed compositions according to environmental parameters using life cycle analysis (LCA), for economic parameters using life cycle costs (LCC), for social parameters using social life cycle analysis (S-LCA), as well as comparing technical parameters. The result is an evaluation of fish feed considering several dimensions, to benefit the fish from this feed, as well as to reduce the impact on the environment from the production of feed.

Evaluation of Aflatoxins and Heavy Metals Exposure in the Local Feeds of Fish and Shrimp in Bangladesh.

This study aims to comprehensively assess the presence of aflatoxins, pervasive fungal toxins, and heavy metals (lead, chromium, cadmium) in the local feed of fish and shrimp. Forty-eight samples of the fish and shrimp feed were collected from the Dhaka and Sathkhira districts of Bangladesh respectively. Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detector, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was used for the heavy metal detection after sample digestion. The standard analytical methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists were followed for analyzing the proximate composition of the feed samples. The findings revealed the high toxic concentration of total aflatoxins particularly in fish feed (196.25 μg/kg). Concurrently, varying concentrations of heavy metals, including lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr), were detected, with the highest levels found in shrimp feed at 3.324 and 174.6 mg/kg, respectively. In comparison, highest contamination of cadmium (Cd) was found in fish feed at 0.398 mg/kg. The outcomes are growing concerns regarding the quality of locally sourced feed and emphasizing the need for prompt corrective actions. Otherwise, neglecting this concern may lead to the possibility of both fish and, ultimately, humans who consume them being vulnerable to the absorption and accumulation of these assessed toxic compounds.