Effects of dietary inclusion of fish blood by-product from canning industry on growth and digestive enzyme activity in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931)

Dry fish blood (DFB), a by-product from the fish processing industry, is a rich source of nutrients, small protein molecules and iron. This study aimed to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of canning by-product fish blood on growth performance and activity of digestive enzymes in L. vannamei with mean initial weight of 4.79±0.12 g. Six diets were formulated: four diets having poultry meal and soybean meal as the main protein sources contained DFB at 0 (control), 4, 8, and 16% of diet and the reference diets5 and 6contained 4% tuna viscera hydrolysate (TVH) and 16% fish meal, respectively. Triplicate groups of shrimp (12 shrimp tank-1 ) were fed with respective diets five times daily for six weeks. The results showed that growth of shrimp decreased with increasing level of dry fish blood. Growth performance of shrimp fed 4% DFB was not significantly different from those fed 4% TVH. Survival rate was not significantly different among treatments (P>0.05). In summary, dry fish blood could be used as a feed ingredient in shrimp diet at 4% of diet with good growth performance. The results demonstrated that the high levels of dry fish blood had an effect on feed utilization efficiency, alkaline phosphatase activity and shrimp growth reduction

Effect of hemoglobin powder substituted for fishmeal on growth performance, protein digestibility, and trypsin gene expression in Litopenaeus vannamei

Recent increases in the price and demand of fishmeal, the primary protein source in shrimp feeds, have caused asearch for alternative protein sources. Hemoglobin powder (HE) is a by-product produced by separating hemoglobin fromplasma of farm animal un-coagulant blood. HE contains high protein content but low lipid content, and thus has highpotential for fishmeal substitution.A six week feeding trial was carried out to investigate effects of HE substituted for fishmeal protein on growth performance,protein digestibility and trypsin gene expression in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Six diets with0%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of HE replacing fishmeal protein were fed four times daily to six groups of shrimp withan average initial weight of 3.53 g/shrimp. Growth of shrimp decreased with increasing level of HE substitution. Although the12.5% HE substitution caused significantly lower final weight, weight gain, SGR, feed intake, PER and PPV in comparisonwith the control diet, FCR of this diet was not statistically different (p<0.05).The activity of trypsin of shrimp was similar among the groups fed diets with HE substitution not higher than 50%(p>0.05). In-vitro and in-vivo protein digestibility of 12.5% HE substitution were significantly lower than that of the controlgroup in which the trypsin gene expression of shrimp fed 12.5% HE substituted diet was the highest

Fish meal quality evaluated by chemical analysis and feed microscopy techniques

Quality of 20 fishmeal samples from the Southern Provinces produced by different raw materials and processing method were evaluated using both chemical and feed microscopy methods. Samples were collected from fishmeal plants, shrimp feed mills and local feedstuff store. One sample using sardine as a raw material was produced in the laboratory by lyophilization as a control fishmeal. Five samples having protein contents over 65% were grouped into shrimp grade including the control fishmeal which had the maximum protein content of 74.09%. Eight samples were grouped into Grade 1 including the imported fishmeal from Chile. The rest of the samples which were mostly produced from trash fish fell into Grade 2 with low protein and high ash content. Chemical analyses of salt content, total volatile base nitrogen (TVN), ammonia nitrogen, histamine content, free fatty acid (FFA), thiobarbituric acid number (TBA) and peroxide value showed the fishmeal from feedstuff store was the most deteriorated sample. This high level of deterioration might be due to low quality raw materials and a long storage time. Among the shrimp grade samples, the most denatured protein was found in Pattani 1 with high level of TVN, ammonia nitrogen and histamine. Moreover, the high levels of TVN were detected in Phangnga 1 (grade 1) and Trang 2 (grade 2). Lipid damage was associated with high fat contents in fish meal which was detected in every group of the samples. The results from feed microscopic examination were in line with those of the chemical analyses. The most deteriorated sample from feedstuff store showed the highest decomposition level and was the only sample that non protein nitrogen was detected. For feather meal adulteration test, seven samples were positive with the highest level in unidentified sample and trace amount in other samples including 2 shrimp grade samples. To confirm feather meal adulteration, protein digestibility test should be performed for these samples

Supplementation of lactobacilli improves growth, regulates microbiota composition and suppresses skeletal anomalies in juvenile pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) reared in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS): A pilot study

This research aimed to test the effects of lactobacilli, applied to cultured pike-perch, either through hydrolyzed OTOHIME fish diet, or through Artemia nauplii, on fish growth, microbiota balance and skeletal development. On the 12th Day Post Hatching (DPH) fish were divided into following treatment groups: two groups received the combination of OTOHIME and nauplii enriched either with Lactobacillus paracasei BGHN14 + Lactobacillus rhamnosus BGTH or with Lactobacillus reuteri BGGO6-55 + Lactobacillus salivarius BGHO1, and one group received OTOHIME hydrolyzed by BGHN14 + BGT10 and non-enriched nauplii. Control group received non-enriched nauplii and non-hydrolyzed OTOHIME. The treatment lasted 14 days and fish were sacrificed on the 26th DPH for the assessment of digestive enzyme activity and microbiota composition. Individual total lengths and individual body weights were recorded at the end of the treatments, on the 26th DPH, and also on the 45th DPH, in parallel with the evaluation of skeletal deformities and fish survival. Our results indicated positive effect of Anemia enriched with BGGO6-55 + BGHO1 on fish growth, skeletal development and trypsin to chymotrypsin activity ratio (T/C), as an indicator of protein digestibility. Hydrolysis of OTOHIME was also associated with better skeletal development, higher T/C values and lower levels of Aeromonas and Mycobacterium spp., which are important fish pathogens. Though additional testing in larger cohort studies is needed, these observations are promising in terms of usage of probiotics for improved environmentally friendly production of pike-perch in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)