Protein Source In Feed Research Articles

Fish protein hydrolysates from rainbow trout processing in replacement of feed protein sources: Effects on growth performances, liver status and body composition of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata L., juveniles

AbstractThe use of processing by‐products may reduce pressure on fish stocks as well as diminish wastes and negative environmental impact. Different studies investigated fish by‐products used as alternative nutritional source to conventional feedstuffs. Fish protein hydrolysates (FPH), as a protein source derived from discards of rainbow trout processing, were included in feeds and effects were evaluated on productive performances, liver status, and body composition in gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata L., juveniles. Three groups of 170 juveniles each (initial weight 37.8 ± 0.5 g), in triplicate indoor tanks of 2 m3 volume each, were fed including FPH in L1 (7.5 g/kg) and L2 (15 g/kg) feeds in replacement of fishmeal. LC diet was used as control having fish meal and soybean meal as main protein sources. At the end of the trial (85 days), satisfactory productive performances were obtained in all the groups with similar performances. The final mean weight ranged from 76.6 to 78.0 g. The two FPH diets exhibited high palatability equal to LC. Liver histology did not differ although fat accumulation was detected in all fish. Body composition and fatty acids were similar. FPH as substitute of protein source is suitable in the feeding of gilthead sea bream juveniles.

Brewery waste as a sustainable protein source for the banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus)

Abstract Crickets, like other edible insects, can convert organic by-products of the food and agricultural industries into high-value protein. Waste products high in protein like brewer’s spent grain and brewer’s spent yeast are particularly attractive replacements for unsustainable protein sources in cricket feed like fishmeal or soy. Such replacement will only be advantageous, however, if feeding on these waste products does not impact, or only minimally impacts, cricket survival, growth, and body composition. In this study, a farmed cricket species, Gryllodes sigillatus, was reared in isolation on experimental diets in which fishmeal was wholly or partially replaced with either brewer’s spent grain or brewer’s spent yeast. Cricket survival, development and macromolecular composition were not different across diets. However, wholly replacing fishmeal with brewer’s spent yeast or brewer’s spent grain reduced cricket adult body mass by approximately 16%. To extend these findings toward a farm environment, a second cohort of crickets were reared communally on diets in which fishmeal, and fishmeal and soy (a secondary protein source), were replaced by brewer’s spent grain. We found that in a communal environment, crickets reared on both diets performed equally as well as the control. Therefore, brewing waste products are promising candidates for use as a primary protein source in the feed of G. sigillatus. In addition to contributing towards the goals of a circular bioeconomy through the repurposing of waste, the use of brewing waste in cricket feed may have a positive impact of the cricket farming industry as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional feed.

Black soldier fly larvae: a one health approach to investigate gut, and organ health and meat quality response in slow-growing chickens

BackgroundThe inclusion of sustainable protein sources in poultry feed has become essential for improving animal welfare in livestock production. Black soldier fly larvae are a promising solution due to their high protein content and sustainable production. However, most research has focused on fast-growing poultry breeds, while the effects on native breeds, such as the Bianca di Saluzzo, are less explored. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of BSFL supplementation in the diet of slow-growing chickens, with a focus on growth, intestinal health and meat quality for final consumers.ResultsThe study demonstrated that Black soldier fly larvae supplementation, both in dehydrated and live form, improved growth performance, with an increase in final weights compared to the control group. No significant differences were found in feed conversion ratio, liver and spleen weight or histomorphometry between groups. Black soldier fly larvae supplementation did not negatively affect immune function or liver metabolism. Higher production propionic acid was detected in the black soldier fly larvae fed groups compared to the control, suggesting an effect on volatile fatty acid production. Gut microbiota analysis showed an increase in beneficial bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium, in the live larvae group. Furthermore, the meat fatty acid profile and atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices did not undergo significant changes, implying a low potential risk to consumers’ cardiovascular health.ConclusionsBlack soldier fly larvae supplementation in the diet of Bianca di Saluzzo improved growth without compromising animal health or meat quality. Moreover, the increase in beneficial volatile fatty acids and the modulation of gut microbiota suggest a positive impact on gut health. Finally, the absence of negative effects on meat lipid profiles confirms nutritional safety for consumers, making black soldier fly larvae a valid alternative in poultry feed. These results offer new perspectives for the use of Black soldier fly larvae in the nutrition of local breeds, contributing to sustainability in line with the One Health approach.

Reduction of gossypol in cottonseed meal using halophilic archaeal fermentation for enhanced feed safety and nutritional value

This study investigated the capacity of halophilic archaea fermentation to detoxify gossypol, a poisonous polyphenolic compound present in cottonseed meal, a major protein source in animal feed. The objective of the study was to investigate the ability of the fermentation process of using halophilic archaeal fermentation to decrease the level of gossypol in cottonseed meal as well as to increase the protein content of the diets. Halophilic microorganisms are able to survive in harsh environmental conditions, offer a potential answer for difficult industrial operations. Cottonseed meal contains high quantities of gossypol, was subjected to fermentation with the halophilic archaeon Halorubrum ezzemoulense in order to reduce gossypol levels and enhance protein content. The study entailed the fermentation of cottonseed meal with H. ezzemoulense, and the amounts of gossypol in the feeds before and after fermentation were assessed using HPLC. Results showed that there was significant (p<0.05) reduction (5.59±0.17 mg/kg) in the gossypol level after microbial fermentation compared to the control which was (139.03±7.17 mg/kg). The protein and lipid content of substrate increased significantly (p<0.05). These analyses revealed modifications in the nutritional values as a result of the fermentation process. The findings indicated a substantial decrease in gossypol levels, coupled with a remarkable rise in protein content. This novel technology not only tackled the drawbacks linked to cottonseed meal but also highlighted the capacity of halophilic archaea fermentation as a sustainable and efficient technique for enhancing the nutritional value of animal feed. Further research could focus on optimizing fermentation, exploring scale-up possibilities, and evaluating broader implications for the livestock industry.

Inclusion of amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) as a protein source in the di-ets of lactating dairy goats

Objective: To determine the productive performance and milk quality of goats, including two levels of popped amaranth in their diet. Methodology: Forty-five lactating goats, randomly distributed into three groups of 15, were studied. Each group was allocated a treatment that matched the isoenergetic and isoproteic diets with increasing percentages of popped amaranth grain, in replacement of soybean meal: T1, 0%; T2, 20%; and T3, 30%. Data were collected across three intervals during the 45-day experimental period. Milk production was recorded, along with its crude protein (CP), fat, and total solids (TS) content. Results: Milk production differed significantly (p<0.05) between treatments, increasing as the amount of amaranth in the diet increased, with values of 1.35, 1.38, and 1.65 kg d⁻¹ for T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Milk composition did not record any difference between treatments, with averages of 28.07, 32.89, and 113.7 g kg⁻¹ of milk for crude protein (CP), fat, and total solids (TS), respectively. Study Limitations/Implications: Given the exploratory nature of this study, determining the functional components of milk is required to complement the study. Conclusions: Amaranth grain can be used as a protein source in animal feed. Including 30% of amaranth in the diet of dairy goats has been proven to increase production compared to conventional protein sources. However, no changes were observed in the main milk components.

The Bile Acid Metabolism of Intestinal Microorganisms Mediates the Effect of Different Protein Sources on Muscle Protein Deposition in Procambarus clarkii.

The most economically important trait of the Procambarus clarkii is meat quality. Protein deposition is essential in muscle growth and nutritional quality formation. The effects and potential mechanisms of feed protein sources on crustaceans' muscle protein deposition have not been elucidated. This study established an all-animal protein source (AP) and an all-plant protein source group (PP), with a feeding period of 8 weeks (four replicates per group, 45 individuals per replicate). The results demonstrated that muscle protein deposition, muscle fiber diameter, and hardness were significantly higher in the PP group (p < 0.05). The transcript levels of genes involved in protein synthesis were notably upregulated, while those of protein hydrolysis and negative regulators of myogenesis notably downregulated in PP group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, protein sources shaped differential intestinal microbiota composition and microbial metabolites profiles, as evidenced by a significant decrease in g_Bacteroides (p = 0.030), and a significant increase in taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) in PP group (p = 0.027). A significant correlation was further established by Pearson correlation analysis between the g_Bacteroides, TCDCA, and genes involved in the MSTN-mediated protein deposition pathway (p < 0.05). In vitro anaerobic fermentation confirmed the ability of the two groups of intestinal flora to metabolically produce differential TCDCA (p = 0.038). Our results demonstrated that the 'Bacteroides-TCDCA-MSTN' axis may mediate the effects of different protein sources on muscle development and protein deposition in P. clarkii, which was anticipated to represent a novel target for the muscle quality modulation in crustaceans.

FEED LYSIN. MEANING AND SYNTHESIS

The intensification of animal husbandry depends on the full feeding of farm animals, which provides for the content of the most important nutrients and biologically active substances in the feed. In order to obtain the necessary amount of high-quality livestock products, to ensure high reproductive capacity of animals, specialists develop animal feeding rations taking into account minimum feed costs. Providing farm animals with fodder protein is one of the important tasks of agriculture and enterprises that produce protein fodder or obtain it in the form of by-products. The use of by-products of food processing is of great importance in animal feeding programs and also solves the problem of disposal of these by-products. The application of such solutions will allow to reduce the need of farms for fodder grain, fodder of animal origin and other expensive components used in feeding. Protein feeds of plant origin include sunflower processing products as the cheapest source of feed protein in Ukraine. The inferiority of the proteins of sunflower cake and meal should be compensated with synthetic amino acids. Lysine, as an essential amino acid, has a wide range of applications, covering various fields from medicine to the food industry and agricultural activities, in particular in the feed industry. Most of the produced lysine is used in the production of feed additives (for pigs and poultry), which significantly increase the nutritional value of vegetable feed with a low lysine content. The addition of lysine to compound feed improves protein digestibility by animals and reduces feed costs for the production of livestock products. Given the availability of lysine and taking into account livestock statistics, namely the increase in the number of pigs and the decrease in the number of cattle and poultry, industrial production of lysine as a feed additive for pigs is a promising direction. The main methods of lysine production are considered - chemical, chemical-enzymatic, biological and microbiological. The technology of each method is analyzed in detail, the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of obtaining lysine are given.

Changes in metabolite profiles in solid fermentation of glutamate waste treatment solution by Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis.

Glutamate wastewater poses a great environmental challenge to the monosodium glutamate production industry. However, its treatment solution is rich in crude protein, which has the potential to be developed as a new protein source for animal feed. Given that the fermentation process generates functionally different metabolites, this study innovatively utilized two strains of feed microorganisms, Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis, to perform solid-state fermentation of glutamate wastewater treatment solution. The aim was to investigate and analyze the metabolite profiles during fermentation. The significant differences in metabolite profiles between the samples were determined using correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), variable importance in projection (VIP) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genomes (KEGG), and Human Metabolome Data Bank (HMDB) analysis. These variations were mainly manifested in essential feed components, such as amino acids, peptides, and their analogues. These included Ile-Pro-Asn, Pro-Gly-Val, alanylvaline, histidylisoleucine, Lys-Leu-Tyr, Ile-Arg, glycyl-leucine, leucyl-lysine, N-palmitoyl histidine, alanylisoleucine, L-glutamate, N-methylisoleucine, lsoleucylproline, DL-m-tyrosine, lsoleucyl-threonine, phenylalanine amide, carboxyethyllysine, N6-acetyl-L-lysine, citrulline, N-alpha-acetyl-L-lysine, N(6)-methyllysine, and L-aspartate-semialdehyde. This study investigates the metabolite profiles of glutamate wastewater treatment solutions after co-fermentation with Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis using solid-state fermentation. These findings provide a new strategy for efficiently utilizing glutamate wastewater treatment solutions.

Use of Fermented Japanese Papaya (Cindoscolus Aconitifolius) Leaf Flour as an Alternative Feed to Increase the Production and Quality of Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)

Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a type of aquaculture commodity that has high economic value as a freshwater consumption fish in the world. Efforts to increase the quantity and quality of commercial feed have an impact on the operational costs of intensive fish farming, namely more than (60-70%) of the total production costs. One effort to overcome dependence on imported feed raw materials is the use of local raw materials. The local raw materials used must have high nutritional value, be non-toxic, relatively cheap, very abundant and not compete with human needs, including Japanese papaya leaves. The use of Japanese papaya leaf flour as a source of carbohydrates and protein in fish feed cannot be done optimally because it contains high levels of fiber and tannin which can bind the minerals needed by fish.

Broad beans are available source of protein in compound feed for quails of the parent herd

The priority direction in the development of current poultry farming is the search for new cost-effective and highly effective feed products based on local raw materials that can have a positive effect on poultry productivity and provide a solution to the problems of adequate feeding and provision of poultry with feed protein. One of the most promising means is broad beans as a grain feed crop with a high content of protein and valuable amino acids in the grain, as well as a relatively low content of anti-nutritional substances. Therefore, the introduction of broad beans into the composition of compound feed for quails is of certain value and is an affordable source of protein. The purpose of the research was to study the eff ect of compound feed using broad beans of Sibirskie variety on the productivity and reproductive traits of parent herd of quails. The results of a study on the introduction of 15 % of broad beans into compound feed and their effect on productivity when rearing parent herd of quails have been presented in the article. When quails were fed experimental compound feeds, the average daily feed intake decreased by 4.25 %, and egg production per average layer increased by 5.77 %. Iit was found according to the results of the physiological (balance) experiment that the digestibility of crude protein increased by 1.15 abs.%, crude fat by 2.69 abs.%, crude fi ber by 2.54 abs.%. It was found that the use of experimental compound feeds had a positive effect on the quality of hatching eggs, their hatchability increased by 1.46 abs.%, and the hatching rate of young animals by 1.74 abs.%. It was found that the use of compound feeds with the introduction of 15 % of feed beans in the diet of quails of the parent herd of Radonezh breed contributed to a decrease in the cost of hatching eggs by 8.50 %.

Detection of Bombyx mori as a Protein Source in Feedingstuffs by Real-Time PCR with a Single-Copy Gene Target

The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is reared on a large scale, mainly for silk production. The waste from this silk production, like pupae, is underused. As an edible insect, B. mori is a good source of protein in human food and animal feed. In recent years, European legislation on the use of insects has evolved and a multitude of European companies have initiated the rearing of insects specifically for food and feed applications. Regarding animal feed, Commission Regulations (EU) 2021/1372 and 2021/1925 authorize eight insect species, including silkworm, as processed animal proteins for use in fish, pig, and poultry feed. The incorporation of edible insects into the human diet falls within Regulation (EU) No. 2015/2283 concerning novel foods. Implementation of authentication methods is imperative to ensure the conformity of the products. In the present study, we propose a specific real-time PCR method for the detection of silkworm (B. mori). The developed PCR test amplifies a 98 bp fragment of the cadherin gene. This gene is present in a single-copy per haploid genome, as demonstrated by experimental evidence. The qualitative method was successfully evaluated on the performance criteria of specificity, sensitivity, efficiency, robustness, and transferability. The applicability of the test was assessed on samples of B. mori from industry. Light microscopy and DNA metabarcoding approaches were used as a complement to genomic analysis as a means of providing authentication of the samples.

Method for Obtaining High-Energy Feed Protein and Fat from Insects

Insects are a valuable and renewable source of feed and food protein and fat. They have an amino acid composition similar to that of fishmeal and meat, and can serve as a worthy replacement for them. The aim of this study was to substantiate the technological parameters of the process of obtaining fat from the Hermetia illucens larvae by a mechanical method on a screw press. A laboratory screw press was used for this research. Before squeezing out the fat, the dried larvae were moistened, crushed and heated in a microwave oven to a temperature of 60 °C. The fat from the larvae was squeezed out in a screw press at different larval moisture levels, screw speeds and cake outlets. The results of this study made it possible to obtain optimal technological parameters for obtaining fat on a screw press: a screw rotation speed of no more than 20 ± 5 rpm; a diameter of the hole for the cake outlet of no more than 7–10 mm; a mass fraction of moisture in the pressed material of 8 ± 2%. The obtained fat fraction was tested for one of the main indicators of fat quality—acid number. It was found that the variable factors do not have a significant effect on the acid number of fat, changing it within the normal range of 10 mg KOH per 1 g of fat, which makes it possible to obtain a good quality product.

Silk worm pupal meal: A alternative protein source in aqua feed

Silk worm pupal meal: A alternative protein source in aqua feed

The biological function of Urtica spp. and its application in poultry, fish and livestock.

Urtica species is an angiosperm plant in the Urticaceae family. It serves as a traditional food and medicinal herb, possessing high nutritional value and various bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, and polyphenolic compounds. In the realm of animal feeds, Urtica spp. can replace traditional protein feed sources and high-quality forage, thereby reducing feed costs. Moreover, Urtica spp. extract exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and boosts immune regulation. Hence, Urtica spp. plays a beneficial role in enhancing animal performance and improving their immune function. Recently, with the development of sustainable farming techniques, the demand for feed additives that prioritize safety, the absence of drug residues, and environmental friendliness have grown. Consequently, Urtica spp. and its extracts have received widespread attention in animal production. This article summarizes the biological functions of Urtica spp. and its application in animal husbandry while also outlining future prospects for its application. It will provide a scientific basis and reference point for the application of Urtica spp. in animal health and breeding.

Nutrient profile, protease and cellulase activities of protein extracted from black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae reared on various substrates

The Black Soldier Fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) larvae are recognized for their ability to convert diverse organic materials into protein-rich biomass, depending on the substrate they consume. The composition of these substrates can significantly impact the nutrient profile and enzyme activities of the resulting maggot protein extract (MPE). Therefore, this exploratory research aimed to assess the nutrient content, protease, and cellulase activity of MPE obtained from BSF maggots reared on different substrates, with a specific focus on substrates A (comprising restaurant waste and rejected milk), B (layer manure), and C (kitchen waste). The results showed that maggot meal from layer manure had the highest protein content (45.36%) and the lowest fat content (18.44%). Amino acids in maggot meal contained high levels of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Lauric acids were found in maggot meal from kitchen waste (33.79%), layer manure (32.18%), and restaurant waste and rejected milk (22.94%). Maggot meal from layer manure had the highest oleic acid content (15.13%). The protein concentration of MPE from various substrates ranged from 0.56 to 0.601 mg/ml (at 60% w/v ammonium sulfate saturation) and 0.555 to 0.609 mg/ml (at 70% ammonium sulfate saturation). The protease activity of MPE from layer manure substrates exhibited optimum activity and stability in neutral to alkaline pH, with activity levels of 0.748 U/mg at pH 7.0 and pH 11.0 (at 60% w/v ammonium sulfate saturation) and 0.774 units/mg at 70% w/v ammonium sulfate saturation. The highest cellulase activity was found in MPE from kitchen waste, which remained stable at pH 5.0-11.0. In general, maggots from different substrate sources exhibited distinct nutrient profiles and enzyme activities. Protein extract from maggots grown in layer manure showed the most suitable nutrient profile for use as an alternative source of protein feed and protease enzymes.

Potato peel as substrate for Single Cell Protein in animal feed by submerged fermentation

Single-cell protein (SCP) has gained attention in scientific research as a vital source of protein in animal feed and human food. Taking into account the importance of SCP, an attempt was made in the current research to grow Rhizopus oligosporus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae biomass by selecting potato peel as a substrate. The potato peel was treated with sulfuric acid to form potato peel hydrolysate following acid hydrolysis. In 1.0-L potato peel hydrolysate, 2.5-g/L KH2PO4, 0.5-g/L MgSO4, 0.5-g/L NaCl, and 10 g/L yeast extract were taken to prepare growth media. The moisture content of potato peel was examined by following standard procedure of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC). The Kjeldahl method was used to determine the protein content, and glucose was examined by using the dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. Optimization of SCP yield was accomplished by following the ‘one factor at a time’ method. The effect of each parameter, such as incubation period, temperature and pH on SCP production was analyzed. Bioreactor scale-up production of SCP was performed in a jar fermenter. To enhance SCP, yield co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhizopus oligosporus was used in a bioreactor that yielded 19 g/L of SCP. Thus, as a nutritional supplement for living organisms, SCP can effectively fulfill protein scarcity globally.

Interactions between feed protein source and feeding frequency on growth performance and health status of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

In order to evaluate the effects of the interaction between different proteins and feeding frequency on largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and to provide scientific guidance for the application of novel proteins and the corresponding optimal feeding strategy, a two-factorial design (5 × 3) with five protein feeds (fishmeal (FM), Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP), Tenebrio molitor (TM), Chlorella meal (ChM), cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC)), and three feeding frequency (1, 2, and 3 times/d; FF1, FF2, FF3) was designed in culturing largemouth bass (initial weight, 2.98 ± 0.22g/fish) for 8weeks. Z-score combined with cluster analysis was used to analyze and compare the effects of different treatments on different indicators, such as growth performance, feed utilization, antioxidant capacity, and immune response to draw a general picture of the relationship among all these massive biomarkers. The results showed that different protein sources and feeding frequencies had significant interactive effects on growth performance, feed utilization efficiency, body lipid, and health status of largemouth bass. Fish fed with ChM feed showed similar performance to that in FM group, implying its potential for complete replacement of fishmeal in largemouth bass. Fish fed with CAP, TM, and CPC feeds showed worse performance compared to FM and ChM groups, characterized by poor growth and feed utilization, enhanced stress, chronic inflammation, and varying symptoms of histological changes in the liver and intestine, which demonstrated the adverse effects of the complete replacement of fishmeal by these three proteins. In terms of feeding frequency, fish fed with FM feed in FF3 group led to liver hypertrophy, fat accumulation, and the risk of fatty liver, while inducing liver inflammation. In addition, the TM and CAP group had the higher expression levels of inflammatory factors at FF3 group, which displayed that the interactions between FM, CAP, TM feeds and feeding frequency at FF3 might aggravate the occurrence of liver inflammation and oxidative damage of hepatocytes. Overall, FF2 had higher feed efficiency, protein efficiency, antioxidant enzyme and lysozyme activities, lower MDA content, and lower gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and could be considered as the optimum feeding frequency for largemouth bass fed with different protein feeds.

Farmed crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) raised with dermestids (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) suffer from reduced and delayed growth, but not enough to explain reports of dramatic yield loss.

The mass production of insects for food and feed is an expanding North American industry. Facilities that mass rear insects are at risk of pest infestations because the optimal environmental conditions for rearing beneficial species may also support the development of pest species. Here, we present the first recorded results detailing the interactions between dermestids and farmed crickets. Cricket farms have reported extremely low harvest yield during heavy dermestid infestations, but the exact reasons for this low yield are unknown. Many dermestid larvae are covered in dense, detachable, barbed setae called hastisetae, which are used by the larvae as an active trapping system against arthropod predators. We designed a series of experiments to test the hypotheses that a dermestid pest of cricket farms, black larder beetle (Dermestes ater DeGeer (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)), may be directly impacting Gryllodes sigillatus Walker (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) yield through the physical effects of hastisetae ingestion and/or indirectly impacting cricket yield through competition for fishmeal, a primary source of protein in conventional cricket feed. Our predictions that G. sigillatus life history and survival would be negatively affected by dermestids were largely refuted. Females fed infested diets grew less mass, but not smaller body size, compared to females fed uninfested diets. We also found that while G. sigillatus experienced delayed growth early in life after living with dermestids, they were able to tolerate living with, and consuming, dermestid larvae. We discuss how these findings have led to new hypotheses concerning how dermestid infestations drive reductions in cricket farm yield.

EFFECTS OF VARIOUS PROTEIN SEED CAKES AS REPLACEMENT FOR FULL FAT SOYBEAN MEAL ON THE HAEMATOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF BROILER CHICKEN

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe to find out alternative non-conventional protein feed sources that could be used to replace full-fat soybean. Three hundread 1-day-old broiler (ROSS) chickens were fed commercial diets for seven days. The birds were afterwards randomly allotted to five dietary treatments with four replicates, 15 birds per replicate. The rations-based diets were full-fat Soybean meal, Soybean cake, Groundnut cake, Sesame seed meal, and Palm kernel cake designated as diets T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5. respectively. The results for blood haematological and serum parameters showed that there was no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference among the treatment means for packed cell volume, red blood cells, white blood cell, haemoglobin, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils but there was a highly significant (P &lt; 0.01) difference in basophils, and a significant (P &lt; 0.05) difference was obtained in Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV). The results for serum biochemical blood indices revealed that there was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) among the treatment means for total protein, globulin, albumin, total calcium, and ionized calcium but a significant (P&lt; 0.05) difference was obtained in the cholesterol where diets T1 and T5 were the highest. Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that, with the exception of diet T5 (Palm kernel seed cake), all the other seed cakes used can effectively replace full-fat soybean meal without negative effect on blood haematological and serum parameters in broiler chickens.

The effect of blood meal to induce aquaculture performance of striped catfish (Pangasionodon hypophthalmus Sauvage, 1878)

Abstract The high price of fish meal as feed is the main problem in cultivating striped catfish. The use of blood meal, waste from slaughterhouses, can be an alternative to improve aquaculture performance while reducing feed costs. This research aimed to determine the effect of using blood meal as a source of feed protein on the growth performance of striped catfish. The research design used was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of five treatments and three replications. The treatments used were A (blood meal 0%, fish meal 100%) as control, B (blood meal 25%, fish meal 75%), C (blood meal 50%, fish meal 50%), D (blood meal 75%, fish meal 25%), and E (blood meal 100%, fish meal 0%). The results showed that the average body weight and specific growth in treatments B (8.25 ± 0.63b g, 3.51 ± 0.13b %/day) and C (8.26 ± 0.73b g, 3.52 ± 0.14b %/day) had the same performance as the control. It is concluded that blood meal can be substituted and combined with fish flour with a maximum composition of 50% to improve the performance of striped catfish aquaculture. Further research to increase the nutrition of blood meal must be conducted to improve the aquaculture performance of striped catfish.