Fish Feed Industry Research Articles

Water-soluble protein level in fishmeal affects extrusion behaviour, phase transitions and physical quality of feed

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of water-soluble protein (WSP) as a plasticizer in the fish feed extrusion process and the impact on physical pellet quality. A three-factor central composite design was used to study the influence of the variables WSP in the feed mix, and steam and water addition in the extruder. Regression models with r2 in the range of 0.862–0.976 (P < 0.001) were established for specific mechanical energy (SME), pellet hardness, cutting strength, sectional expansion index, length, bulk density, oil adsorption capacity and extrudate flow-starting temperature (Tf). Addition of WSP had a positive effect on SME and improved the physical pellet quality, while moisture had the opposite effect. Expansion parameters showed a complex relationship and were influenced by all the studied process variables. Increase in WSP and moisture content had a comparable effect on Tf reduction. This opens up the possibility to obtain a satisfactory ‘cook’ at reduced moisture level with a potential for significant reduction of the energy consumption during drying of the extrudate. Overall conclusion from the experiment is that WSP can be used as a processing aid for the fish feed industry, serving multiple purposes as nutrient, plasticizer and binder in extruded fish feed.

ANALISIS KELAYAKAN PEMASARAN DAN KEUANGAN UMKM

This study aims to analyze the feasibility of Marketing and finance of UMKM in Pemalang. UMKM which assessed the feasibility of marketing and processing of pineapple for the financial industry, the cultivation of vegetables in the agropolitan waliksarimadu, organic rice cultivation, cultivation of mango arumanis, fish feed industry, milk processing industry and fish meal as well as industrial brooms glagah. Marketing analysis is used to focus more on segmentation, targeting and market positioning of each UMKM. Investment valuation analysis using five methods of calculation of Total Value of Investment, Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate Of Return (IRR), Payback Period (PP) and the Benefit and Cost Ratio (BC). Based on the marketing and financial analysis it can be concluded each UMKM feasible to develop its business. Keywords: marketing and financial feasibility of UMKM

Conservation agriculture based tillage and crop establishment options can maintain farmers’ yields and increase profits in South Asia's rice–maize systems: Evidence from Bangladesh

Rice–maize (R–M) systems are rapidly expanding in South Asia and Bangladesh due to higher yield and profit potential from rabi (winter) maize, its reduced water requirement compared to rice–rice systems, and increasing demand from poultry and fish feed industries. The current practice of growing puddled transplanted rice and maize with conventional, repeated tillage degrades soil structure, delays maize planting, and reduces its yield potential, increasing energy and labour requirements, ultimately leading to high production costs. Conservation agriculture (CA)-based tillage and crop establishment options such as strip or reduced tillage, and raised beds, may hold potential to increase yield, reduce crop establishment costs, and increase income of the farmers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity and profitability of R–M systems under CA-based tillage and crop establishment options across a gradient of 69 farmers’ fields in Northwest Bangladesh. We evaluated four tillage and crop establishment options: reduced tillage; strip tillage; fresh beds; and permanent beds. Conventional-tilled (puddled) transplanted rice on flat followed by conventional-tilled maize on flat was included as a current practice. ANOVA for adjusted 4-year pooled mean revealed no significant treatment effects for yield and economic analysis parameters for rice (P≥0.05), but they were significant for maize and the R–M system (P≤0.05). Rice yields across tillage and establishment treatments over four years ranged from 4.6 to 4.9tha−1 while maize and R–M system yields ranged, respectively, from 7.8 and 12.5tha−1 under conventional tillage to 9.0 and 13.8tha−1 on permanent beds. Compared to conventional tillage, the average maize and system yield across fresh beds, reduced tillage, and strip tillage, was greater by 9.1% and 6.1%, respectively. Maize production costs ranged from US $922ha−1 with fresh beds to US $1,027ha−1 for conventional tillage. Maize net returns and benefit cost ratio (BCR), however, ranged, respectively, from $945ha−1 and 1.9 under conventional tillage to $1350ha−1 and 2.4 under permanent beds. We conclude that while CA-based tillage and establishment options may not have significant yield advantage over conventional tillage in rice, they have significant advantages in terms of reduced production cost and labour use, and increased net returns. For maize as well as for R–M system, while most options can provide yield benefits similar to conventional tillage, permanent beds exhibit a significant advantage (yield, net returns, etc.) over conventional tillage. Profitability was consistently greatest and significantly different (P≤0.001) under permanent raised beds compared to all other treatments. Considering our assessment of the profitability distributions and risk analysis, we conclude that both rice and maize planted sequentially on permanent beds and strip tillage can result in higher net income and BCR compared to conventional tillage practice.

An Overview of Kenyan Aquaculture: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities for Future Development

The Kenyan aquaculture sector is broadly categorized into freshwater aquaculture and mariculture. Whereas freshwater aquaculture has recorded significant progress over the last decade, the mariculture sector has yet to be fully exploited. The Kenyan aquaculture industry has seen slow growth for decades until recently, when the government-funded Economic Stimulus Program increased fish farming nationwide. Thus far, the program has facilitated the alleviation of poverty, spurred regional development, and led to increased commercial thinking among Kenyan fish farmers. Indeed, national aquaculture production grew from 1,000 MT/y in 2000 (equivalent to 1% of national fish production) to 12,000 MT/y, representing 7% of the national harvest, in 2010. The production is projected to hit 20,000 MT/y, representing 10% of total production and valued at USD 22.5 million over the next 5 years. The dominant aquaculture systems in Kenya include earthen and lined ponds, dams, and tanks distributed across the country. The most commonly farmed fish species are Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, which accounts for about 75% of production, followed by African catfish Clarias gariepinus, which contributes about 21% of aquaculture production. Other species include common carp Cyprinus carpio, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, koi carp Cyprinus carpio carpio, and goldfish Carassius auratus. Recently, Kenyan researchers have begun culturing native fish species such as Labeo victorianus and Labeo cylindricus at the National Aquaculture Research Development and Training Centre in Sagana. Apart from limited knowledge of modern aquaculture technology, the Kenyan aquaculture sector still suffers from an inadequate supply of certified quality seed fish and feed, incomprehensive aquaculture policy, and low funding for research. Glaring opportunities in the Kenyan aquaculture industry include the production of live fish food, e.g., Artemia, daphnia and rotifers, marine fish and shellfish larviculture; seaweed farming; cage culture; integrated fish farming; culture of indigenous fish species; and investment in the fish feed industry.

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT DIETARY VITAMIN C LEVELS ON CHINESE LONGSNOUT CATFISH (&lt;I&gt;LEIOCASSIS LONGIROSTRIS GUNTHER&lt;/I&gt;)

Vitamin C is ail essential micro-nutrient for most fish and plays an important role in immunity and physiology. The deficiency of dietary vitamin C can result in the damage on fish. The study on the deficiency symptom and the sensitive indicator of vitamin C could provide useful information for fish feed industry. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Vitamin C levels oil growth performance, immune and physiological responses in Chinese long-snout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris Gunther), which is ail high value aquaculture fish in China. Three practical diets containing 38, 364 and 630mg/kg vitamin C were fed to Chinese longsnout catfish (23.19 +/- 0.58g) for 8 months. Vitamin C was used in the form of L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate. The results indicated that the Chinese longsnout catfish in 38mg/kg vitamin C groups showed typical vitamin C deficiency symptom : skin color turning darker, spinal deformities and scoliosis, erosion of fins, anaemia. SGR and the serum lysozyme activities decreased significantly (p 0.05). The inductive HSP70 in liver was not detected by western-blotting in all groups. In conclusion, serum cortisol and hepatic HSP70 were not the sensitive indicators for vitamin C deficiency symptom, but the serum lysozyme, hepatic SOD activity, hepatic MDA content and the haematological index ( red blood cell number and hemoglobin content) were the more reliable makers to indicate the physiological status in Chinese longsnout catfish.

Characterization, gene cloning, and expression of a novel xylanase XYNB from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis A1

A novel xylanase XYNB from S treptomyces olivaceoviridis A1 was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity with the specific activity of 2869.78 U/mg, by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The purified XYNB was further characterized. The optimal pH and temperature for XYNB activity are 5.2 and 60 °C, respectively. Metal cations, EDTA and SDS had no or little effect on enzyme activity. The gene xynB coding mature protein of XYNB was cloned by degenerated PCR, which consisted of 576 bp and encoded 191 amino acid residues. The putative molecular weight of XYNB is about 20.8 kD. The xynB was expressed actively in both Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. In a 3 L fermentor, the expressed xylanase protein was accumulated up to 7 mg/mL in recombinant P. pastoris, and the xylanase activity exceeded 15,000 IU/mL. XYNB can be potentially utilized in fish feed industry.

Split‐plot regression models with both design and spectroscopic variables

AbstractThe main object of this work is to compare two methods for combining spectroscopic measurements and design variables in a regression model, when the data has a split‐plot error structure. Focus of the comparison is on prediction ability and interpretation. The need for such regression models is present in many production processes, since the end‐product quality usually is affected by both raw material quality and processing. If the raw materials are complex, biological substances, it is often natural to characterise them by spectroscopic measurements. This paper presents a case from the fish feed industry, where a designed experiment was carried out to investigate if quality variations in a certain raw material affect the end product. It was not known which raw material properties that are important, and NIR spectroscopy was therefore used for characterisation. Recipe and process settings were also varied. Practical considerations imposed restrictions on the randomisation, and this led to a split‐plot design. The regression model was estimated by restricted maximum likelihood (REML), to account for the split‐plot structure. The two methods presented here combine design variables with either PCA or PLS on the spectra. We call the methods REML‐PCA and REML‐PLS. In this case, both methods perform equally well regarding model fit and prediction ability. However, REML‐PLS is easier to interpret as less components are needed and the components are directly connected to the response. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

An evaluation of open and closed systems for in vitro protein digestion of fish meal

The availability of a rapid, cost-effective, accurate and reliable method of assessing fish meal protein digestibility would greatly enhance and standardize quality-control procedures in both the fish meal and fish feed industries. However, while several in vitro digestibility tests have been developed, few have been adopted by industry due to their time-consuming nature, problems surrounding reliability and/or inconsistencies in predictive ability. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the utility and predictive qualities of two in vitro digestion assays of distinct design. Methods examined included a novel open system, wherein on-line removal of digestion products was attainable, and a closed system, which permitted analysis of products following completion of the digestion process. Results provided by the two systems were compared using four differentially processed fish meals. The open system supplied information based upon the detected quantity of products below 10 kDa. The closed system provided measurement of free amino groups. Both methods were in agreement with respect to assessing the presence of hydrolysed product. Both systems furnished complementary data with respect to the characterization of fish meal protein quality. The closed and open systems provided insight upon digestibility and digestion kinetic profiles respectively.