The Effects of a Natural Polyphenol Extract from Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) on the Growth, Survival, and Feed Conversion Efficiency of Juvenile Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon)

Farmed shrimp feeds are under continuous development to maximise shrimp growth, health, and feed efficiency. There is evidence in aquaculture species that botanical ingredients may be capable of improvements in each of these traits. However, the full potential of these ingredients remains largely unexplored. We investigated the effect of dietary additions of a polyphenol-rich sugarcane extract (PRSE) at the rate of 0, 2, 4, or 6 g kg−1 of diet, on the growth, survival, feed conversion ratio, and pathogen loading of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) over a 10-week feeding period in a small-scale intensive RAS system. Shrimp fed the highest level of PRSE compared to the control were 54% heavier (15.4 vs. 10.0 g; p 0.05). These findings demonstrate that polyphenol-rich sugarcane extracts have the potential to improve shrimp growth and FCR when added into feed formulations. Further research should be conducted in commercial rearing conditions for validation

The selenium content of SEPP1 versus selenium requirements in vertebrates

Selenoprotein P (SEPP1) distributes selenium (Se) throughout the body via the circulatory system. For vertebrates, the Se content of SEPP1 varies from 7 to 18 Se atoms depending on the species, but the reason for this variation remains unclear. Herein we provide evidence that vertebrate SEPP1 Sec content correlates positively with Se requirements. As the Se content of full length SEPP1 is genetically determined, this presents a unique case where a nutrient requirement can be predicted based on genomic sequence information