Replacement Of Fish Meal Research Articles

Microalgae as fishmeal alternatives in aquaculture: current status, existing problems, and possible solutions.

Fishmeal is an indispensable ingredient for most aquatic animals. However, the finite supply and escalating price of fishmeal seriously limit its use in aquaculture. Thus the development of new, sustainable protein ingredients has been a research focus. Microalgae are potential fishmeal alternatives owing to their high protein content and balanced amino acid profile. Studies suggest that suitable replacement of fishmeal with microalgae is beneficial for fish growth performance, but excessive replacement would induce poor growth and feed utilization. Therefore, this paper aims to review research on the maximum substitutional level of fishmeal by microalgae and propose the main issues and possible solutions for fishmeal replacement by microalgae. The maximum replacement level is affected by microalgal species, fish feeding habits, quality of fishmeal and microalgal meals, and supplemental levels of fishmeal in the control group. Microalgae could generally replace 100%, 95%, 95%, 64.1%, 25.6%, and 18.6% fishmeal protein in diets of carp, shrimp, catfish, tilapia, marine fish, and salmon and trout, respectively. The main issues with fishmeal replacement using microalgae include low production and high production cost, poor digestibility, and anti-nutritional factors. Possible solutions to these problems are recommended in this paper. Overall, microalgae are promising fishmeal alternatives in aquaculture.

Microbial community-based protein from soybean-processing wastewater as a sustainable alternative fish feed ingredient

As the global demand for food increases, aquaculture plays a key role as the fastest growing animal protein sector. However, existing aquafeeds contain protein ingredients that are not sustainable under current production systems. We evaluated the use of microbial community-based single cell protein (SCP), produced from soybean processing wastewater, as a partial fishmeal protein substitute in juvenile Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). A 24-day feeding trial was conducted with a control fishmeal diet and a 50% fishmeal replacement with microbial community-based SCP as an experimental group, in triplicate tanks containing 20 fish each. Both diets met the protein, essential amino acids (except for lysine), and fat requirements for juvenile Asian sea bass. The microbial composition of the SCP was dominated by the genera Acidipropionibacterium and Propioniciclava, which have potential as probiotics and producers of valuable metabolites. The growth performance in terms of percent weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), and survival were not significantly different between groups after 24 days. The experimental group had less variability in terms of weight gain and FCR than the control group. Overall, microbial community-based protein produced from soybean processing wastewater has potential as a value-added feed ingredient for sustainable aquaculture feeds.

Dietary Fishmeal Replacement by Methanol-Extracted Cottonseed Meal with Amino Acid Supplementation for Juvenile Cobia Rachycentron canadum

The present study aims to evaluate methanol-extracted cottonseed meal (CSM) as a potential replacement for fishmeal (FM) in aquafeeds for juvenile cobia Rachycentron canadum. Five isonitrogenous (41% crude protein) and isolipidic (11% crude lipid) diets were formulated with 0 (i.e., the full fishmeal diet, as Control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the dietary protein from FM replaced by methanol-extracted CSM with L-lysine (L-Lys) and DL-methionine (DL-Met) and supplemented to the established requirement levels for cobia. Diets were fed to triplicate groups of juvenile fish with an average initial weight (±SEM) of 11.35 ± 0.23 g/fish for 9 weeks. Percent weight gain (WG), feed efficiency (FE) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) of fish fed diets with 25% and 50% of FM protein replaced by methanol-extracted CSM were higher or comparable to those of fish fed the Control diet. Those responses were gradually reduced with increasing levels of CSM substitution, resulting in significant (p < 0.05) negative linear trends. Condition factor (CF) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) values significantly decreased with increasing dietary CSM inclusion, as did whole-body protein and lipid composition. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) of fish fed CSM diets were not significantly different compared to that of fish fed the Control diet. The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels, as well as serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities from fish fed diets with 50% or greater of CSM were lower than those of fish fed the Control and CSM25 diets. These results indicated that the inclusion of CSM did not induce any apparent stress on juvenile cobia. Additionally, methanol-extracted CSM with Lys and Met supplementation was able to replace up to 20~30% of crude protein provided by FM in the diet of cobia without drastically affecting the growth performance or body composition.

Growth and Hepatopancreas Health of Juvenile Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) Fed Different Levels of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meal for Fish Meal Replacement.

A 56-day feeding trial assessed the effects of black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) on the growth performance and hepatopancreas health of juvenile Eriocheir sinensis. Six isoproteic and isolipidic diets with 0% (FM), 10% (BSFLM10), 20% (BSFLM20), 30% (BSFLM30), 40% (BSFLM40), or 50% (BSFLM50) replacement of fish meal by BSFLM were formulated. Compared to FM, replacing 10%-40% of fish meal with BSFLM did not significantly affect the weight gain rate (WGR) or specific growth rate (SGR), while BSFLM50 significantly decreased the WGR and SGR. Crabs fed BSFLM50 had significantly lower T-AOC activity than those fed other diets, and crabs fed BSFLM30, BSFLM40, or BSFLM50 had significantly lower activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH-Px) in the hepatopancreas than those fed FM or BSFLM10. Compared to FM, BSFLM10, BSFLM20, and BSFLM30 did not affect the relative expression of genes related to the nonspecific immunity, while BSFLM40 and BSFLM50 upregulated the relative expression of these genes. Furthermore, histological analysis showed that the hepatopancreas was deformed in the BSFLM50 group, with widened lumens and loss of basal membrane integrity. In summary, BSFLM replacing 50% of fish meal reduced growth and structural damage to the hepatopancreas. An immune response was activated when the replacement level was over 30%. Therefore, the replacement level of dietary fish meal by BSFLM is recommended to be not more than 30% of the juvenile E. sinensis feed.

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) residue could partially replace the dietary fish meal in the juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) residue is a by-product of P. americana meal after extracting active ingredients with ethanol, and it still contains high protein, lipid, and a certain amount of active ingredients, may be a potential fish meal alternative. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets were formulated to replace 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of dietary fish meal with P. americana residue, and defined as Diet 1, Diet 2, Diet 3, Diet 4, and Diet 5, respectively. The juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with an initial body weight of 2.98 ± 0.01 g was fed with respective diets for 10 weeks, which was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary fish meal replacement by P. americana residue on the growth performance, proximate composition, amino acid profile, metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of juvenile O. niloticus. There were no significant differences in the final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate among five diet groups, while the highest feed conversion ratio and the lowest protein efficiency ratio were recorded in Diet 4. There were no significant differences in the contents of crude protein, total lipid, ash, and total amino acid in the whole fish body among all groups. The Diet 1 and Diet 2 had higher activities of trypsin, α-amylase, and chitinase in the intestine and α-amylase in the liver. The highest serum urea content was detected in Diet 4, while the lowest liver urea content and the highest serum total protein content were detected in Diet 3. A higher liver catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and serum lysozyme activities were detected in Diet 2, and the lowest serum malondialdehyde content was detected in Diet 2. In conclusion, dietary fish meal replacement by the P. americana residue had no negative effects on the growth performance and body composition of juvenile O. niloticus, and significantly improved the antioxidant capacity and immunity, while feed utilization rate was reduced when dietary fish meal replacement levels exceeded 75%.

Fish meal replacement by Brachytrupes portentosusas for Oreochromis niloticus: Effect on growth, feed utilization, fatty acid profiles, hematology, and histological changes

In the aquaculture section, the scarcity of sustainable feed components is the major challenge. Insects may become an important, sustainable resource for expanding the raw material repertoire. Herein, this study evaluated the effects of fish meal (FM) replacement with giant cricket meal (GCM) on growth, feed utilization, fatty acids profiles, hematology, and histological changes of Nile tilapia. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated with a FM-based diet (without GCM or GCM0), the other four diets were prepared to replace FM with 55, 111, 164, and 217 g/kg of GCM (referred to as GCM55 - GCM217). A total of 300 fish (approximately 7.27 ± 0.01 g/fish) were randomly allocated to triplicate groups with 20 fish per tank and fed until satiation twice daily. The results showed a linear and quadratic relationship were observed between growth parameters and dietary replacement of GCM levels. Although the total replacement of FM by GCM217 significantly diminished, but GCM55 – GCM164 replacement was higher than a control group and improved the feed conversion ratio. The condition factor was similar among dietary treatments, but the hepatosomatic index and viscerosomatic index were affected by GCM inclusion levels (P < 0.05). Whole-body dry matter and ash were linearly and quadratically increased up to GCM164, and slightly decreased in the GCM217 group. Dietary GCM inclusion regulated whole-body composition in a dose-dependent manner. Muscle fatty acids were affected by dietary GCM replacement with a linearly decreased in 18:3n-3, 20:5n-3, and 22:6n-3, and the quadratic effect was observed for 22:6n-3. Dietary inclusion of GCM quadratically increased hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, and globulin, and linearly improved red blood cell and hemoglobin levels. However, GCM inclusions higher than 164 g/kg were linearly and quadratically increased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase compared to a control group. A mild degree of vacuole enlargement was found in GCM164, while a high degree of irregular shape, cytoplasm vacuolization, and swelling was found in GCM217 group. In addition, intestinal morphometrics of GCM217 group detected a significantly linear and quadratic decrease in villi height. Results of the present study suggested that the dietary replacement of FM by GCM could replace up to 164 g/kg without negatively affecting growth, feed utilization, and improved blood hematology and serum proteins of Nile tilapia, even if mild histomorphological changes of hepatocytes were observed. In addition, replacing FM with GCM111 obtained the highest growth performance without any negative effects to Nile tilapia.

Partial Replacement of Fish Meal with an Aquatic Macrophyte, Ceratophyllum demersum in the Diet of Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio var. communis Fingerlings

A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the nutrient utilization, growth performance, and hematological indices of Cyprinus carpio var. communis fingerlings fed diets based on aquatic macrophyte, Ceratophyllum demersum as a replacement of fish meal (FM). Six isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets containing graded levels of C. demersum 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%, respectively, as replacer of FM were formulated. Total of 360 fingerlings with an initial weight of 3.65 ± 0.98 g were randomly stocked in 70 L plastic tanks water volume 60 L connected with a continuous flow-through system (1–1.5 L/min) for each treatment and were run in triplicate having 20 fish in each tank. At the end of the feeding trial, it was observed that the C. carpio var. communis fingerlings receiving 5% and 10% C. demersum in the diet showed improvements in live weight gain (LWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency rate (PER). While further addition of C. demersum as a replacement of FM from 15% to 25% led to the progressive decline in the values of LWG, SGR, FCR, and PER. Hematological data also exhibited a linear declining trend beyond the 10% C. demersum replacement level. The fish fed with higher inclusions of C. demersum in each diet significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected whole body composition with the lowest protein and fat amounts recorded at higher replacement levels significantly (P&lt;0.05). The highest protein and fat contents were observed at 5% and 10% diets. Except serum glucose, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the other serum indices exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing inclusion of C. demersum in the diet. The results of the present study clearly demonstrated that the inclusion of 10% C. demersum did not affect the growth and other parameters of C. carpio var. communis fingerlings compared to the 50% FM diet. However, it is recommended that 10% FM can be substituted without compromising the growth and nutritional quality of fish.

Effects of Brown Fishmeal on Growth Performance, Digestibility, and Lipid Metabolism of the Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of brown fishmeal in replacement of white fishmeal in the diet of Chinese soft-shelled turtles and to find the optimal amount of brown fishmeal to add. Five experimental groups were set up and fed to animals, and they were composed by different proportions of white and brown fishmeal: G1 (30% white and 25% brown fishmeal), G2 (25% white and 30% brown fishmeal), G3 (20% white and 35% brown fishmeal), G4 (15% white and 40% brown fishmeal), G5 (10% white and 45% brown fishmeal). G1 is regarded as the control group. Turtles were randomly divided into five experimental groups with four replicates each. The experiment lasted 72days. The results showed that the WGR, SGR, FCR, and HSI of the G3 group were not significantly different from those of the control group (P > 0.05). In addition, brown fishmeal can increase the crude protein content in the muscles of them. Among the serum biochemical indices, there was no significant difference between the G3 group and the G1 group, except for the level of TG (P > 0.05). Meanwhile, the activities of AST, ALT, and CAT in the liver of the G3 group did not differ significantly from those of the G1 group (P > 0.05). However, the activities of ACP, AKP, and T-AOC were significantly decreased in the G3 group (P < 0.05). In addition, the alteration of fishmeal did not affect the digestive enzyme activities in the stomach, liver, and intestine, and there is no significant difference (P > 0.05). Importantly, with increasing brown fishmeal addition, the expression of Fas, Pparγ, Scd, and Stat3 showed a significant increase, while the expression of Bmp4 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In this study, the addition of 20% white fishmeal and 35% brown fishmeal to the diet of Chinese soft-shelled turtles did not adversely affect growth performance. Therefore, 20% white fishmeal and 35% brown fishmeal are the most practical feed formulations for Chinese soft-shelled turtles in this study.

THE EFFECT OF REPLACEMENT OF FISH MEAL WITH FERMENTED SOYBEAN MEAL IN THE COMBINED FEED ON THE MORPHOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE BODY OF YOUNG CLARIAS GARIEPINUS (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS)

The article examines the impact of feeding compound feed with different levels of fishmeal replacement with fermented soybean meal on the morphological and chemical composition of the body of young clary catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Experimental studies were carried out in the conditions of the experimental base of the problematic research laboratory of feed additives of the Department of Animal Feeding and Feed Technology, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. A scientific and economic experiment was conducted using the method of groups of analogues lasting 56 days, which was divided into four subperiods of 14 days each. For the experiment, 600 heads of young clary catfish with an average weight of 25 grams were selected, and six groups of 100 heads each—a control group and 5 experimental ones—were formed by the analogue method. Young clary catfish were fed compound feed, which differed in the level of the introduction of fermented soybean meal. Thus, the combined feed of the control group contained 36% fish meal without the addition of fermented soybean meal EP500, while in the combined feed of group 2, the content of fish meal was reduced to 26% and 10% fermented soybean meal EP500 was added. In compound feed for group 3, the level of fish meal continued to decrease to 21%, and the level of fermented soybean meal EP500 was increased to 15%. Focusing on 100% replacement of fishmeal, the compound feed of groups 4, 5, and 6 was characterised by a 16%, 11%, and 0% content of this ingredient, while fermented soybean meal EP500 in these groups was 20%, 25%, and 36%, respectively. At the end of the experiment, the morphological and chemical composition of the body was determined by weight on ten specimens of the most typical fish. The muscle tissue of skinless fish was used to study the chemical composition. Before analysis, all samples were stored in a refrigerator. It was established that the use of compound feed with the replacement of fish meal in the feeding of young clary catfish and the introduction of fermented soybean meal into its composition at the level of 25-36% led to an increase in the weight of the carcass of the cartridge by 3.69 (р≤0.05) - 4, 12% (р≤0.01); carcass weight by 4.10 – 4.67 (р≤0.01); muscle tissue mass by 3.99 - 4.98 (р≤0.01) compared to the control group. At the same time, it should be noted that feeding compound feed with different levels of fermented soybean meal had no probable effect on the chemical composition of young clary catfish muscle tissue.

An estimation of optimum dietary concentration of soy bean meal for carps (Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirhinus mrigala).

Soybean meal is an inexpensive plant origin protein which has been used in practical diets as a replacement of animal protein such as fish meal or chicken meal, due to the uneconomical price of animal protein diets. Consequently, a research study was conducted on some commercial species of Indian major carps i.e. Catla (Cattla cattla), Rohu (Labeo rohita) and Mrigala (Cirhinus mrigala) (Hamilton, 1822) to estimate optimum dietary protein requirement of soy bean meal in diet in an intensive polyculture. Three different diets (SBM I, SBM II and SBM III) were formulated by 80%, 50% and 20% replacement of fish meal with soybean meal from a 45% fish meal diet (control).Highest monthly mean weight gain was obtained by SBM II (with 35% CP and about 50% substitution of fish meal), while SBM III (45% Crude Protein and about 20% substitution of fish meal) was stood second. All tested diets respond enormously by producing high yield as compare to control diet, though SBM II generated highest yield among all. On the bases of the following research, it was revealed that the SBM can surrogate even50% fish meal without any augmentation of other amino acids in the diet of Indian major carps.

Growth Performance, Immune Characteristics, and Health and Welfare of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) Fed a Tailor‐Made Environmentally Sustainable Diet Formulated Using Novel Ingredients

The use of fish meal/oil in carnivorous fish feeds remains a concern for the environmental sustainability of aquaculture. In this study, we investigated the impact of an innovative diet designed to be cost‐effective and environmentally sustainable (i.e., 60% replacement of fish meal by a blend of plant, yeast [Saccharomyces cerevisiae], and krill meal feed ingredients) on the growth, health, and welfare of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Over a 135‐day experiment, fish were fed either the innovative or a commercial diet (control), and various parameters were evaluated, namely growth performance, levels of physiological blood parameters related to stress, immunity, health, and welfare, as well as swimming activity, serving as a proxy for energy expenditure. Results revealed that the innovative diet enhanced growth compared to fish fed the control diet. Hematological and biochemical indicators did not highlight any impaired welfare condition in fish fed innovative diet while higher levels of Immunoglobulin M were measured in plasma of fish fed innovative diet, potentially suggesting enhancement of humoral immunity. However, accelerometer tags data revealed that fish fed the innovative diet exhibited higher overall swimming activity, suggesting higher energy expenditure, which was consistent with greater prealbumin levels measured in the plasma. In conclusion, the higher energy metabolism in fish fed the innovative diet might be compensated by the diet’s content, which may boost humoral immunity and hence help the fish develop a better adaptation to rearing environment, including its viral and bacterial load, ensuring overall better growth. Longer term investigations, including measurements of additional parameters, are required to validate these promising preliminary outcomes.

Replacement of Fish Meal with a Combination of Fermented Fish and Soybean Meal in the Diet of Juvenile Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch, 1790)

Replacement of Fish Meal with a Combination of Fermented Fish and Soybean Meal in the Diet of Juvenile Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch, 1790)

Evaluation of Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles in Aquafeeds – A Review

Abstract The aquafeed industry faces many challenges, including reducing the cost of feed by reducing the quantity of fish meal and soybean meal and researching to replace them with other ingredients lower in cost. Furthermore, new low-cost feeds must improve growth and feed utilization while also ensuring fish health. During the past few decades, researchers have shown one of the low-cost and with appropriate nutritional value alternative protein sources to replace fish meal (FM) or soybean meal (SBM) is dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Recently, the production of grain-based ethanol as a fuel additive has been increasing as the demand for biofuel has increased, and lessening dependency on fossil fuels has resulted in a dramatic rise in the amount of grains used for ethanol. DDGS are the primary co-product of dry-grind fuel ethanol plants. DDGS has the advantages of having high protein, fat, phosphorus, yield, and low cost. These valuable particles attributed to DDGS have raised controversy amongst feed nutritionists as to how they can proficiently replace fish meal or soybean meal. It has been discovered that DDGS can be replaced with fish meal or soybean meal without affecting growth. Therefore, the present review discusses the effects of dietary DDGS application in the fish feed formulation, the best dietary presence, the possible advantages in fish health, nutrient retention, and the economic benefits of DDGS application in aquafeeds.

Current Status and Global Research Trend Patterns of Insect Meal in Aquaculture From Scientometric Perspective: (2013–2022)

In the past decade, insect meal has gained popularity in the animal feed industry, particularly in aquafeed, due to rising costs and decreased availability of fish meal (FM) and fish oil. Initially met with skepticism, insect meal is now seen as a promising ingredient because of its high nutrient profile. Research worldwide is exploring its potential as a FM replacement. Insects are abundant, nutritious, and environmentally friendly, as they can be reared on organic waste, minimizing the need for land, water, and energy. This research aims at obtaining a comprehensive and in‐depth understanding of the current status and research trend patterns in this research field. To achieve this goal, this study conducts a mini systematic review and scientometric analysis of the global research published from 2013 to 2022 on the usage of insect meal in aquaculture. In the scientometric analysis, a total of 354 papers published by 1800 authors in 124 different journals from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection were analyzed, evaluating the number of publications, most relevant authors, organizations, top cited countries, most globally cited publications, and trending research themes in this field. The result showed that the University of Turin was the leading organization in insect meal research, whereas aquaculture was the leading journal, and author Laura Gasco was the prominent researcher in this field in the studied time frame (2013–2022). Italy was the leading country in Europe, while China dominated Asia in terms of the number of publications. The annual growth rate in insect meal research was found to be positive (23.11%), with 36.95 average citations per document. This study helps practitioners and scholars understand the current state of insect meal in aquaculture and identifies research requirements that can benefit both academia and industry.

Nutritional Evaluation and Cost Analysis of Dietary Replacement of Fish Meal with Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) in the Diet of GIF Tilapia

Nutritional Evaluation and Cost Analysis of Dietary Replacement of Fish Meal with Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) in the Diet of GIF Tilapia

Effect of replacing fish meal with black soldier fly larvae meal on growth performance and economic efficiency of Nile tilapia

This study evaluated the effect of replacing fish meal (FM) with black soldier fly (Hermatia illucens) larvae meal (BSFLM) on growth performance and economic efficiency of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production. The BSFLM replaced FM at 0, 25, 50 and 75% (T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively). One thousand two hundred (1,200) all-male Nile tilapia fry were stocked in twelve hapas at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Sangoro aquaculture research station in Kenya, and hand-fed four times daily for 21 weeks. Thirty (30) fish were sampled biweekly from each hapa for measurement of total length and weight. Findings indicated that diet T3 outperformed all the other treatments in respect to final body weight (23.20 ± 1.15 g), daily weight gain (0.13 ± 0.02 g), final weight gain (23.09 ± 1.15 g), survival rate (96.74 ± 3.18 %), SGR (1.31 ± 0.03 % day-1), FCR (1.57 ± 0.02), feed efficiency (0.64 ± 0.02), and condition factor (1.92 ± 0.01). The cost per kilogram of feed was highest for control diet (USD 0.91) and lowest for 75% BSFLM diet (USD 0.79). Economic Conversion Ratio (ECR) was lowest for the 50% BSFLM diet (1.26 ± 0.14) and highest for the control diet (1.44 ± 0.14). Economic Profit Index (EPI) was highest for the 50% BSFLM diet (141.82 ± 7.88) and lowest for the 25% BSFLM diet (106.64 ±6.63). The findings reveal that 50 to 75% BSFLM inclusion is an ideal replacement for FM in Nile tilapia diets, and is technically and economically efficient for Nile tilapia production.

The Substitution of Fish Meal or Chicken Meal With Yeast Culture in Diets of Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus): Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Indices, Intestinal Digestive Enzyme, Hepatic Antioxidant, and Hepatic and Intestinal Histology

The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of yeast culture replacing fish meal (FM) or chicken meal (CM) on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, intestinal digestive enzyme activities, hepatic antioxidant, and hepatic and intestinal histology of bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus). The basal diet contained 100 g/kg FM and 100 g/kg CM, and then yeast culture was used to decrease FM or CM level to 75 and 50 g/kg with yeast culture inclusion of 32 and 64 g/kg, respectively, resulting in five groups of isonitrogenous diets (control, FM75, FM50, CM75, and CM50). A total of 450 bullfrogs (45.5 ± 0.4 g initial weight) were fed the five diets for 50 days. (1) The FM50 group presented significantly lower weight gain, condition factor, hind leg index, and higher feed conversion ratio than the control group, while the other three groups of FM75, CM75, and CM50 showed no significant difference in growth performance when compared to the control group. (2) The serum triglyceride content of FM50 group was significantly lower, while the alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly higher than those of the control group. The serum total cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the CM50 group compared to the control group. (3) In intestinal digestive enzyme activities, the trypsin and α‐amylase activities in the CM75 and CM50 groups, the trypsin activity in the FM75 group, and lipase activity in the CM50 group were all significantly higher than those in the other groups. (4) The replacement of 50% FM with yeast culture (FM50 and CM50 groups) promoted the total antioxidant capacity in the liver, but compared to the control group, the intestinal villi height and muscularis propria thickness in the FM50 group were significantly lower. There was no difference (P &gt; 0.05) in liver histology among all the groups. In conclusion, in a basal diet containing 100 g/kg FM and 100 g/kg CM, 32.0 and 64.0 g/kg yeast cultures could successfully replace 25% of dietary FM and 50% of dietary CM without negative effects on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, and hepatic and intestinal health of bullfrogs.

Impact of Replacing Fish Meal With Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Meal on Diet Acceptability in Juvenile Nile Tilapia: Palatability and Nutritional and Health Considerations for Dietary Preference

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two protein sources (black soldier fly [Hermetia illucens] meal [BSFM] vs. fish meal [FM]) on intake target “diet preference” in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by a self‐feeding method (trial 1). Growth, body composition, blood parameters, and immunity genes expression were also evaluated to be correlated with behavioral data (trial 2). Four experimental diets were prepared containing 0%, 33%, 66%, and 100% BSFM as a substitute for FM protein, which were considered treatments T0 (control), T33, T66, and T100, respectively. In trial 1 (32 days), 60 juveniles (77.97 ± 8.5 g, standard error of the mean [SEM]) were randomly distributed in 60 aquariums (40 L). Fish were challenged to select among A, T0 vs. T33; B, T0 vs. T66; C, T0 vs. T100; D, T33 vs. T66; E, T33 vs. T100; and F, T66 vs. T100 using two floating food halls per aquarium to provide different diets. In trial 2, 240 juveniles (2.80 ± 0.25 g) were distributed in 16 tanks (40 L). The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments (T0, T33, T66, and T100) and four replies. Fish were fed (5% body weight [BW]) experimental diets for 2 months. For the trial 1 results, no difference was observed in A, T0 vs. T33 (p &gt; 0.05). Fish were allowed to select conditions B, C, D, E, and F and preferred the diets containing no or low BSFM content: B = T0, C = T0, D = T33, E = T33, and F = T66 (p &lt; 0.05). In trial 2, final weight and daily weight gain had lower values when animals were fed 100% FM replacement with BSFM (p &lt; 0.05). The fish fed T0 showed lower viscerosomatic indices (p &lt; 0.05). Moisture and total protein were higher in the fish fed T0, but protein content did not differ from T33 (p &gt; 0.05). Ethereal extract increased with rising BSFM (p &lt; 0.05). There were no significant differences in glucose, creatinine, total protein, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) (p &gt; 0.05). Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin lowered in fish when increase dietary BSFM (p &lt; 0.05). gpx, il-8, il-10, tnf-α, sod, cat, tlr-1, myd, and nf-κb did not differ among treatments (p &gt; 0.05). However, il‐1β expression increased in T0 and T100 (p &lt; 0.05). Diets with up to 66% BSFM did not affect performance of juvenile tilapia. However, fish showed a preference for diet containing 33% BSFM.

The effectiveness of using Volgafish fish concentrate in the diets of broiler chickens

The presented studies were conducted in the period from 2021 to 2023 in the conditions of the center "Safety and Effectiveness of feed and additives" of the Volgograd State Agrarian University on the ROSS-308 bird. To perform the study, four groups were formed in three repetitions: control, I-experienced, II-experienced and III-experienced with 40 heads each. The bird was raised from the daily to 37-day age with outdoor maintenance. The chickens were kept on a deep litter (sawdust), the feeding technology, watering and microclimate parameters meet the requirements of the ROSS-308 cross. The chemical composition of fish concentrate exceeds fishmeal in terms of crude protein content by 2.15%, crude fat – by 0.25%, crude ash – by 0.28%, which suggested the replacement of fishmeal in broiler chicken feeding programs for this feed product. The use of Volgafish fish concentrate in the composition of compound feeds for broiler chickens, replacing 50.00%, 75.00% and 100.00% fishmeal, allowed to increase the average daily growth of poultry by 1.38-5.18%, and the live weight of individuals by 37 days of age by 1.32-5.01%.

Effect of fish meal replacement with chicken viscera meal on growth performance, haematology and intestinal histology of Sperata seenghala fingerlings

Effect of fish meal replacement with chicken viscera meal on growth performance, haematology and intestinal histology of Sperata seenghala fingerlings