Fish Meal Sources Research Articles

Exploring single cell microbial protein as a sustainable fishmeal alternative in yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) diets: impacts on health and gut microbiome

BackgroundWith the global expansion of aquaculture and the increasing demand for fish meal, identifying appropriate and sustainable alternative protein sources for aquafeeds has become essential. Single-cell protein (SCP), derived from methanotrophic bacteria, presents a promising alternative by converting methane into protein, potentially addressing both the need for alternative protein sources and reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of SCP inclusion (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% fish meal replacement) on the health, gene expression, and gut microbiome of yellowtail kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi) following a 35-day growth trial.ResultsThe study found that SCP inclusion at the highest level of fishmeal replacement (75%) induced a mild inflammatory response in the hindgut of the fish. However, micromorphological assessments of the hindgut, serum biochemistry, and gene expression analyses revealed no significant detrimental effects from SCP replacement. Notably, there were indications of improved lipid digestibility with SCP. Furthermore, SCP inclusion significantly enhanced microbial richness and altered the composition of the gut microbiome, introducing beneficial bacterial taxa that may contribute to improved gut health and resilience.ConclusionsThis study highlights SCP as a viable and sustainable alternative to fish meal in YTK diets. The findings suggest that SCP can be included in YTK diets without adverse health effects at moderate levels and may even offer benefits in terms of lipid digestibility and gut microbiome diversity. These results contribute to the advancement of more sustainable aquaculture practices.

GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF SPINY LOBSTER, Panulirus homarus JUVENILES FED WITH DIFFERENT FORMULATED FEEDS

Article Highlights- Indonesia has remarkable natural resources of spiny lobster Panulirus homarus and an exceptional opportunity to establish the largest lobster aquaculture industry in the world.- However, culturing lobsters still relies on natural feeds (trash fish of fresh fishery by-catch) which are inefficient and environmentally unsustainable.- Developing formulated feed based on locally available ingredients is invaluable for replacing natural feeds to support sustainable lobster culture.- Formulated feed made of local fish meal provided the best growth of juvenile spiny lobster Panulirus homarus compared to imported fish meal. AbstractSeveral studies suggested that good growth performance and survival of lobster juveniles can be achieved by feeding the lobsters with formulated feeds. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the growth and survival of spiny lobster Panulirus homarus juveniles fed with different diets having profiles based on a basal diet formulation and (2) to compare the growth of lobsters fed with an identical formulated feed with variations only in sources of fish meal and dry matter content. The feeding experiment was designed following a completely randomized design (CRD) with five diet treatments and five replicates for each treatment. Five experimental diets were prepared in this experiment, i.e., Diet A (basal diet prepared as moist pellets); Diet B (moist pellets with the same formulation as Diet A, using local fish meal); Diet C (moist pellets with the same formulation as Diet A, using imported fish meal); Diet D (dry pellets with the same formulation as Diet A, using imported fish meal); and Diet E (fresh fish). Juveniles of spiny lobster with an average weight of 3.00±0.07 g were allocated in 25 net cages (60 x 60 x 60 cm) placed in a circular HDPE canvas tank (7.5 m in diameter) at a density of 15 lobsters/cage in a flow-through seawater system. The juveniles were fed with the experimental diets twice/day for 12 weeks. The experiment showed that the best growth was observed in juveniles fed with moist feed containing local fish meal (Diet B) with the final weight reaching 18.74±2.30 g. Moist feed containing imported fish meal (Diet C) resulted in a higher survival rate (46.66%), and the lowest survival rate (13.33%) was obtained from juveniles fed with fresh fish (Diet E).

Assessing the potential economic effects of mesopelagic fisheries as a novel source of fishmeal

AbstractThe continuous growth of the aquaculture industry implies increased demand for efficient sources of aquafeed, such as fishmeal. Pelagic fish are a desirable source of fishmeal due to their high nutritional content. Nevertheless, several pelagic stocks that have been exploited extensively for fishmeal production face ecological limits due to commercial exploitation, and the aquaculture industry is now seeking novel, efficient, and sustainable sources of aquafeed. The mesopelagic zone, an ecosystem with many scientific uncertainties, is being considered as a potential source for fishmeal, largely owing to the abundance of mesopelagic fish and their robust nutritional profile. However, both the ecological and economic viability of commercial exploitation of mesopelagic fish are not yet well understood. To understand the conditions that would make such an endeavor economically viable in the context of global fishmeal production systems, we use a bioeconomic model that assesses the economic consequences of including mesopelagic fish as a fishmeal source. Through simulations, we assess the economic implications of this hypothetical mesopelagic fishery on major pelagic fishmeal production systems. The mesopelagic fishery can be economically profitable for harvesters, and its addition to global fishmeal production reduces fishmeal market price, thus making it more accessible to aquaculture farmers and less profitable for pelagic fishers. While this may reduce fishing pressure on pelagic forage‐fish stocks, the implications of commercial exploitation of mesopelagic on key ecosystem services remain a concern.

Utilization of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae as a Potential Substitute for Fish Meal in the Production of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

Utilization of quality aqua-feed relies heavily on fish meal sources of protein because of its nutritional balance. However, due to its limited supply, high cost, and decline of wild fish populations, aquaculture production has shifted focus to cheaper and more readily available alternatives to guarantee sustainable aquaculture productivity. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae are a promising replacement for fish meal in fish diets due to their relatively high crude protein, lipid and mineral contents, and the bioactive potential with anti-microbial, and other probiotic properties. This study determined the effect of partially replacing fish meal with black soldier fly meal (BSFLM) on the growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Four isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) diets in which fish meal protein was gradually substituted with BSFLM were prepared as follows: No BSFLM (control)-T0; 25% (BSFLM25)-T25, 50% (BSFLM50)-T50 and 75% (BSFLM75)-T75. The feeds were fed to the Nile tilapia fingerlings (mean weight 25 ±5 g) which were randomly stocked in 12 cages at a stocking density of 30 fish per cage. The experimental fish were manually fed at 3% of the body weight for 28 days, and 4% of the body weight for 154 days twice a day. The study found that 25% and 50% replacement of fish meal protein with BSFLM resulted in the best growth performance of Nile tilapia, as measured by final mean body weight gain (BWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and condition factor (K). This suggests that BSFLM is a promising alternative to fish meal in aqua-feeds in the production of Nile tilapia.

Sustainable Fish Feeds with Insects and Probiotics Positively Affect Freshwater and Marine Fish Gut Microbiota.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing agricultural industry in the world. Fishmeal is an essential component of commercial fish diets, but its long-term sustainability is a concern. Therefore, it is important to find alternatives to fishmeal that have a similar nutritional value and, at the same time, are affordable and readily available. The search for high-quality alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil has interested researchers worldwide. Over the past 20 years, different insect meals have been studied as a potential alternate source of fishmeal in aquafeeds. On the other hand, probiotics-live microbial strains-are being used as dietary supplements and showing beneficial effects on fish growth and health status. Fish gut microbiota plays a significant role in nutrition metabolism, which affects a number of other physiological functions, including fish growth and development, immune regulation, and pathogen resistance. One of the key reasons for studying fish gut microbiota is the possibility to modify microbial communities that inhabit the intestine to benefit host growth and health. The development of DNA sequencing technologies and advanced bioinformatics tools has made metagenomic analysis a feasible method for researching gut microbes. In this review, we analyze and summarize the current knowledge provided by studies of our research group on using insect meal and probiotic supplements in aquafeed formulations and their effects on different fish gut microbiota. We also highlight future research directions to make insect meals a key source of proteins for sustainable aquaculture and explore the challenges associated with the use of probiotics. Insect meals and probiotics will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the long-term sustainability and profitability of aquaculture.

Partial replacement of fish meal with Moringa oleifera leaf meal in practical diets of Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings.

Fish protein is serving as a source of nutrition for protein starving world. However, sustainable aquaculture products require inexpensive plant by-products due to finite sources of fish meal. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine nutrient utilization, growth performance and hematological indices of Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings fed on Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) based diets. Fish were fed with six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets having MOLM as a substitute of fish meal (FM) at the levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% for the period of 90 days. Fingerlings having initial weight 6.35±0.04g were reared in triplicate tanks at the stocking density of 15 and hand fed at the rate of 5% of total biomass twice regularly. Chromic oxide inclusion level was 1% in diets. After analysis, maximum growth performance and improved digestibility of nutrients were found in fish fed with diet at 10% replacement level as compared to fish fed on control diet and other test diets. Additionally, it was found that the red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration of fish showed a significantly (p<0.05) inverse correlation with the increase in MOLM. In present research, it was concluded that MOLM has good potential to be used as a FM substitute in C. mrigala diet with maximum effect at 10% showing positive hematological indices.

The potential economic benefits of insect-based feed in Uganda.

Black soldier fly farming is gaining traction globally as a strategy for recycling organic waste into high-quality proteins and fat for feed and organic fertilizer for crop production. The support of governments in East Africa to integrate insect meal in livestock feed has opened opportunities for commercializing insect products. Understanding the potential value of Black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) is paramount to inform policies and practices to promote insect farming and insect-based feed for livestock production. This paper uses the economic surplus method to generate evidence on the potential socioeconomic impact of replacing conventional soybean and fish meal protein sources with insect-based feed (IBF), BSFLM, in Uganda. Results indicate that substitution of IBF for existing protein sources will generate net economic benefits of USD 0.73 billion in 20 years (0.037 billion per year). The benefit-cost ratio is estimated at 28:1, and the internal rate of return is 138%, indicating that the insect-based animal feed industry is a profitable investment. Even in the worst-case scenario, when the replacement rate of IBF and its economic benefits are reduced by half, the benefit-cost ratio remains high (8:1). The estimated economic benefit can lift about 4.53 million people above the poverty line in the country. It can also create about 1,252─563,302 new jobs per annum, depending on the substitution rate of conventional protein feeds with IBF (0.1%─45%). Uganda has the potential to produce from about 3,244 tons to 1.5 million tons of IBF. Similarly, using the same replacement rates, the country can produce about 695─312,678 tons of NPK fertilizer from biowaste recycling. About 0.09-41 million tons of biowaste could be recycled, depending on the replacement rate of conventional feed sources with IBF. Our results justify that investing in the insect feed value chain can contribute to Uganda's economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Effects of soybean and canola meals as dietary protein sources on the production performance and meat quality of shrimp

Vegetable dietary protein sources are cheaper alternatives to fishmeal in shrimp diets. This study assessed the impact of fermented and non-fermented soybean and canola meals on growth performance, in vivo and in vitro digestibility, digestive enzyme activities and meat quality of Litopenaeus vannamei. A total of 513 shrimps were randomly assigned to treatments (control and two experimental diets). Animals on the control diet (cd) were fed a commercial feed concentrate. For the other treatments, the fishmeal protein source was totally replaced by a mixture of soybean and canola meal (50:50), either unfermented (sc) or fermented (fsc). Results showed that fermentation significantly increased (P &lt; 0.05) the hydrolysis degree (hd) of sc meals by 12 % compared to that of their unfermented counterparts. Also, it was found that canola meal had higher hd compared to soybean meal, both before and after fermentation. The use of sc diet decreased protein digestibility in shrimps (P &lt; 0.05), although there was no significant variation in the activity of total proteases and chymotrypsin. Production performance traits of shrimps fed diets with fsc were comparable to those of shrimps on the control diet. The increase in shear force of shrimps fed fsc was accompanied by an increase in the water holding capacity (whc) by 8-9 % (P &lt; 0.05). Sensory attributes were similar across diets. In summary, this study showed it is possible to fully replace fish meal with fsc in shrimp diets without impairing production performance traits, dietary protein digestibility, and shrimp meat quality.

Growth Performance of Pangasius sp Fed Different Types of Diets Formulated from Varieties Fish Meal Sources

Pangasius sp is an introductory species that is widely distributed in freshwater regions in Indonesia since the 1990s and it was initiatively reared at the beginning of 2011 using a floating net cage in Lake Ngade, Ternate. Even though it has benefited economically, there is still a lack of information on its biological and ecological aspects. Growth and survival rate are two main factors that should be known to develop Pangasius aquaculture. The study aims to understand the growth and survival rate of Pangasius by mixing different fish meals into dietary. 120 Pangasius fingerlings were placed into 12 tanks. Diet was formulated using Pearson’s square method. Three different protein fish meal sources were mixed into feed formulation namely flying fish meal, Nile meal, and eel meal. Commercial feed was used as control. Filling Randomized Design (FRD) was applied with the experimental set-up of the treatments. The results show that feed stability in water ranges from 2'23" to 3'47" while feed durability ranges from 2'09" to 2'35". The survival rate of Pangasius is almost 100% except for treatment C. Growth rates vary among treatments which is the highest found in treatment A (16.42%) followed by treatment B (15.85%), D (15.57%), and C (7.00%) respectively. Nile fish meal is also significantly affected (P0.05) by the Specific Growth Rate (SGR) of fish. Nutrition ingredients and water quality parameters are conducive to maintaining the fish's life. All in all, different fish meal sources in the formulated diet are significantly supporting Pangasius growth.

Fermented meat and digestive tract of snail as amino acid supplements for functional feed of native chickens

Sources of amino acids and lactic acid bacteria have been developed from the hydrolysis of snail meat and its digestive tract through a fermentation process using a consortium of microorganisms present in cow’s milk whey, which is fermented by microorganisms from rice washing water with internal microorganisms from snails. The fermentation process used the Submerged Fermentation (SmF) method. The fermentation process was carried out using Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) inoculants contained in rice washing water. This product was researched and developed with the aim of being a feed supplement to reduce the use of fish meal or other protein sources such as concentrates in the preparation of feed for poultry. Product development studies were carried out on the LAB content in rice washing water and fermented snail meat and its digestive tract, as well as their amino acid content. The results of the study showed that at the dilution of rice washing water, approximately 3 different colonies of LAB were found, the dilution of 10-1 to 10-4 could not be counted but at the dilution of 10-5, 50 colonies of LAB were obtained with an amount of 5 x 107 CFU/ml. The fermented snail meat and its digestive tract contained approximately 4 different LAB colonies and found 3 x 104 CFU/ml at a dilution of 10-3, and contained 6 types of amino acids, namely; alanine, glycine, cysteine, arginine, lysine, and proline. The conclusion of this research is that fermented snail meat and digestive tract have potential as an amino acid supplement for functional feed for native chickens.

Digestibility of amino acids in fish meal and blood-derived protein sources fed to pigs.

ObjectiveAn experiment was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in fish meal (FM) and blood-derived protein sources including spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), porcine red blood cells (PRBC), and blood meal (BM) fed to growing pigs.MethodsTen barrows (mean initial body weight of 22.1±1.54 kg) surgically fitted with T-cannulas at the distal ileum were allotted to a duplicated 5×4 incomplete Latin square design with 5 experimental diets and 4 periods. Four experimental diets were prepared to contain FM, SDPP, PRBC, or BM as the sole source of nitrogen. A nitrogen-free diet was prepared and included to estimate the basal ileal endogenous losses of AA. For the 7-day experimental period, pigs were fed for 5 days as adaptation, and ileal digesta samples were collected for 9 hours on days 6 and 7.ResultsThe SID of crude protein in BM (48.0%) was less (p<0.05) than in FM, SDPP, and PRBC (83.4%, 83.9%, and 87.3%, respectively). Pigs fed the diet containing BM had less (p<0.05) SID of AA, except isoleucine and proline, than those fed the diet containing FM, SDPP, or PRBC. Among FM, SDPP, and PRBC, there was no difference in the SID of crude protein and all AA, except isoleucine. The SID of isoleucine in PRBC and BM (62.7% and 48.3%, respectively) was less (p<0.05) than in FM and SDPP (88.0% and 84.9%, respectively). The SID of lysine in FM, SDPP, PRBC, and BM was 85.4%, 84.9%, 89.7%, and 51.9%, respectively.ConclusionThe SID of most AA was not different among FM, SDPP, and PRBC, but BM had lower SID of most AA than FM, SDPP, and PRBC.

Influence of Protein Source on Growth Performance in Nursery Pigs

A total of 330 pigs (241 × 600, DNA; initially 10.7 lb) were used to determine the influence of dietary protein source on growth performance in nursery pigs. At weaning, pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments with 4 or 5 pigs per pen and 12 replications per treatment. Dietary treatments were arranged in a one-way treatment structure with diets containing different protein sources; enzymatically treated soybean meal (HP 300; Hamlet Protein, Findlay, OH), spray-dried bovine plasma (APC Corp, Ankeny, IA), fermented soybean meal (ME-PRO; Prairie Aquatech, Brookings, SD) with or without fish solubles (TASA, Lima, Peru), fish meal (TASA Prime meal; TASA, Lima, Peru), and custom-made fish meal (TASA Swine; TASA, Lima, Peru). Because of a delay in arrival of the fish meal source, all pigs were placed on a common phase 1 diet for 3 d after weaning. On d 3, all feeders were weighed, dumped, and refilled with experimental diets. Pigs were fed experimental phase 1 diets for 9 d (d 3 to 12) followed by phase 2 diets for 15 d. Following phase 2, all pigs were fed a common diet for an additional 15 d. In all weigh periods and overall, there were no significant differences between treatments for BW, ADG, ADFI, and F/G. For economic analysis (d 0 to 40), pigs fed spray-dried bovine plasma had the greatest (P ≤ 0.001) feed cost and feed cost per lb of gain compared to all other treatments. There were no differences in revenue or IOFC between treatments. In summary, utilizing alternative protein sources in phase 1 and 2 nursery pigs’ diets had no effect on growth performance. However, there was a 5 to 7% improvement in ADG for pigs fed spray-dried bovine plasma and custom-made fish meal.

Effect of Fish Meal Replacement by Unconventional Meal in the Post-Larval Diet of Clarias Gariepinus in Benin (West Africa)

To reduce the pressure on aquatic resources due to the use of fishmeal in fish feed, the mastery and use of alternative sources of fishmeal in all stages of fish development are essential. Five diets including 4 experimental and one control diet were considered. Experimental diets of post-larvae were developed from unconventional ingredients in which fishmeal was completely replaced by a mixture of brewer’s yeast, chicken viscera and maggots. These foods were tested on Clarias gariepinus post-larvae with an initial average weight of 80 ± 1 mg. 1500 fish individuals were equally distributed in 15 concrete basins with a volume of 500 L forming five treatments in triplicate. Fish individuals were fed, manually at a ration rate of 20%, four times per day. The specific growth rates were 8.38%/day in imported food and 6.35%/day in the experimental food receiving 45.5% of protein from unconventional meal. Similar results were obtained with the feed consumption index. These encouraging results show that it is possible to partially or completely replace fishmeal in catfish feed and obtain an economically profitable production. The recovery of waste such as chicken viscera, brewer’s yeast and soybean meal in fish food formulation as tested in this study is a good contribution to environmental sanitation.

Digestibility of insect meals for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and their performance for growth, feed utilization and immune responses.

This study was conducted to examine digestibility of insect meals for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and their utilization as fish meal substitutes. The tested insect meals were mealworm, silkworm, black soldier fly, rice grasshopper, two-spotted cricket, dynastid beetle and white-spotted flower chafer. Apparent digestibility coefficients of the tested insect meals were 83-89% for protein, 91-98% for lipid, 84-90% for energy, 77-81% for dry matter, 28-36% for chitin, 76-96% for amino acids and 89-93% for fatty acids. The amino acid availability of insect meals was high in taurine (93-96%), arginine (91-95%) and lysine (90-95%). Availability of fatty acids were 89-93% for saturated fatty acids, 90-93% for monounsaturated fatty acids and 88-93% for polyunsaturated fatty acids. For a feeding trial, a control diet was formulated using 27% tuna byproduct meal as a fish meal source and seven other diets were prepared replacing 10% tuna byproduct meal in the control diet with each insect meal. Triplicate groups of shrimp (initial body weight: 0.17 g) were fed the diets for 65 days. The growth performance was significantly improved when the shrimp were fed black soldier fly or dynastid beetle included diet. Dietary supplementation of insect meals significantly improved non-specific immune responses and antioxidant enzyme activity in the shrimp. These results indicate that the tested insect meals have high potentials to be used as a protein source that could replace fish meal in diets for the shrimp.

The Effect of Different Processing Methods on Fishmeal Element Quality: Evaporator System

Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L., 1758) is the main source of fishmeal in Turkey. The research was carried out in 3 fishmeal factories where anchovy is processed in the Black Sea during the 2007-2008 fishing season. Factories A and B have an evaporator system, while factory C does not have an evaporator system. In the study, it was aimed to reveal the effect of the evaporator system on the mineral substance quality of the fishmeal produced in fishmeal oil factories. As a result of this study, the elements in fishmeal are listed in descending order as Ca&amp;gt;P&amp;gt;K&amp;gt;Na&amp;gt;Mg&amp;gt;Fe&amp;gt;Zn&amp;gt;Mn&amp;gt;Cu. According to the results of the research, it was determined that the phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium and zinc values of fish fishmeal produced in A and B factories using evaporator system were higher than the C factory without an evaporator system, and the difference between factories was statistically significant (P&amp;lt;0.05). It is recommended that all factories have an evaporator system in order to produce fishmeal of higher quality (protein and mineral substances) in fishmeal-oil factories.

Potential application and beneficial effects of a marine microalgal biomass produced in a high-rate algal pond (HRAP) in diets of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax

Microalgae have been used as live food in aquatic species. In recent years, the interest in microalgae has considerably increased, thanks to the evolution of production techniques that have identified them as an ecologically attractive aquafeed ingredient. The present study provides the first data about the effects of dietary inclusion of a microalgae consortium grown in a high-rate algal pond system on zootechnical performance, morphometric indices, and dietary nutrient digestibility as well as morphology and functionality of the digestive system of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax. A dietary treatment including a commercial mono-cultured microalgae (Nannochloropsis sp.) biomass was used for comparison. Six hundred and thirty-six European sea bass juveniles (18 ± 0.28 g) were randomly allotted into 12 experimental groups and fed 4 different diets for 10 weeks: a control diet based on fish meal, fish oil, and plant protein sources; a diet including 10% of Nannochloropsis spp. biomass (100 g/kg diet); and two diets including two levels (10% and 20%) of the microalgal consortium (100 and 200 g/kg diet). Even at the highest dietary inclusion level, the microalgal consortium (200 g/kg diet) did not affect feed palatability and fish growth performance. A significant decrease in the apparent digestibility of dry matter, protein, and energy was observed in diets including 10 and 20% of the microalgal consortium, but all fish exhibited a well-preserved intestinal histomorphology. Moreover, dietary inclusion with the microalgal consortium significantly increased the enzymatic activity of maltase, sucrase-isomaltase, and ɤ-glutamil transpeptidase in the distal intestine of the treated European sea bass. Algal consortium grown using fish farm effluents represents an attempt to enhance the utilization of natural biomasses in aquafeeds when used at 10 % as substitute of vegetable ingredients in diet for European sea bass.

Effect of Different Protein Sources with Different Levels on Growth Performance and Carcass Dissection of Japanese Quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica)

&#x0D; The fish meal and soybean meal are the most used protein sources in poultry rations, especially in quail birds due to their higher requirements of crude protein that affecting their growth rate. The objective was to investigate the effect of source of dietary protein and its levels on growth traits, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters. This study was conducted at poultry farm in Duhok city/College of agricultural engineering sciences/Animal production Department/ Kurdistan Region- Iraq, 2020. A total of 360 one-day unsexed chicks of J. quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica) were divided equally into two groups (treatments) according to protein source (fishmeal and soybean meal groups), each group involved three levels of crude protein (20, 23 and 26 % CP), and each level had three replicates. The birds distributed randomly on the cages which contained 20 birds / replicate. The main results were as follow; fishmeal source of diet protein surpassed significantly soybean in live body weight (LBW), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and carcass characteristics. The level of 26 % crude protein (CP) in the diet recorded the best LBW, WG and FCR; while the level of 23 % CP surpassed both 20 % and 26 % in mortality rate and carcass dissections. However, total protein, hemoglobin and albumen parameters in the blood were not affected significantly (p&gt;0.05) neither by protein source nor by its levels in the quail rations. As conclusion, fish meal was better than soybean meal; and 26 % CP was the best level.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF THE INVASIVE PTERYGOPLICHTHYS DISJUNCTIVUS FROM EAST KOLKATA WETLAND, INDIA

Pterygoplichthys disjuctivus, native to South America (Armbruster 2001) has spread massively as an exotic fish species in many of the open water systems in India including the East Kolkata Wetland, a Ramsar site in West Bengal, India. Such exotic species compete for food and physical resources with the native species thereby affecting habitat structure and the species diversity. In spite of being caught in very high numbers, option for its utilization has not been explored. In this context, the nutritional composition of Pterygoplichthys disjuctivusin terms of gross chemical composition, amino acid, fatty acid and mineral composition was studied to explore its potential to be used as source of fish meal. Nutritional composition analysis showed that the fish is rich in proteins (16.1%), functional amino acid leucine (15.15%) and macro minerals phosphorous (2220 mg/100 g) and potassium (1780 mg/100g).This study indicates that the fish is rich in protein and minerals and could be utilized as a source of fish meal in fish feed formulations. Key words: Invasive species, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus, East Kolkata wetland

Growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, body composition, hematological and antioxidant parameters of Oncorhynchus mykiss were not detrimentally affected by replacement of fish meal with concentrated dephenolization cottonseed protein

Protein is the most expensive nutrient in aquafeed. Cottonseed meal can be used as an important source of plant protein in aquafeed because of its low price and high yield. Concentrated dephenolized cottonseed protein (CDCP) is a promising alternative source of fish meal obtained by processing cottonseed meal to remove gossypol. In this study, an 8-week feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing fishmeal by CDCP on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, body composition, hematological and antioxidant parameters of Oncorhynchus mykiss. Six isonitrogenous (43 %) and isolipid (14 %) experimental diets were formulated to replace 0% (D1), 10 % (D2), 20 % (D3), 30 % (D4), 40 % (D5), 50 % (D6) of fish meal by a corresponding amount of CDCP. The results indicated that the replacement of 10 %–50 % fish meal by CDCP had no adverse effect on the growth, feed utilization and survival rate of O. mykiss. The whole-body and muscle composition and hematological parameters of O. mykiss have not changed due to the replacement of 10 %–50 % of fish meal by CDCP. No significant pathological changes in the mid-gut was observed among all experimental groups. The length of villus was not affected by the substitution of fish meal with CDCP. There was no significant difference on the activity of SOD and T-AOC in fish fed with different diets. However, the MDA contents of fish fed the D1- D3 diets were significantly higher than that of fish fed the D4-D6 diets. In conclusion, there was no adverse effect on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, body composition, hematological and antioxidant parameters of O. mykiss by replacing 10 %–50 % fish meal with concentrated dephenolized cottonseed protein. The antioxidant capacity of O. mykiss was improved by replacing 30 %–50 % fish meal with CDCP. CDCP is a suitable protein source for O. mykiss.

Effects of enzymatic hydrolysates from poultry by‐products (EHPB) as an alternative source of fish meal on growth performance, hepatic proteome and gut microbiota of turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus )

Effects of enzymatic hydrolysates from poultry by‐products (EHPB) as an alternative source of fish meal on growth performance, hepatic proteome and gut microbiota of turbot ( <i>Scophthalmus maximus</i> )