The effects of replacing fishmeal by mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) on digestive enzymes activity and hepatopancreatic biochemical indices of Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

Reducing the use of fishmeal (FM) in aquafeed means a significant saving in the amount of FM at the global level and reducing environmental impacts. One of the potential protein sources to replace FM in shrimp diet is the use of insects’ meal. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of replacing FM with mealworm (MW; Tenebrio molitor) on the growth, digestive enzymes activity and hepatopancreatic biochemical indices of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Shrimp were fed for 60 days with a control diet (T0) and 4 practical diets (T15, T30, T60 and T100) where 15, 30, 60 and 100% of the FM was substituted by MW, respectively. Results showed that there were significant differences in weight gain (WG) and hepatopancreatic index (HPI) among treatments and the lowest and highest values for were observed in T0 and T30, respectively. Our findings indicated a significant increase (P<0.05) in activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total nitric oxide (TNO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and a meaningful decrease (P<0.05) of malondialdehyde (MDA) in hepatopancreas of L. vannamei juveniles fed diets containing MW. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the T0 did not show a significant difference (P>0.05) with other experimental treatments. Protease and lipase indicated an increasing trend with increasing the amount of MW up to 60%. The protease activity showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between the treatments containing MW and the control treatment. These findings indicated that MW could be a feasible candidate for replacing FM in diets of the Pacific white shrimp without any detrimental effects.

Effects of Fishmeal Substitution with Mealworm Meals (Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus) on the Growth, Physiobiochemical Response, Digesta Microbiome, and Immune Genes Expression of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

“…Fish were weighed three times: at the beginning, middle, and end of the growth trial. Water quality parameters were maintained within suitable ranges for Atlantic salmon, including temperature (12-14°C), pH (7)(8), dissolved oxygen (80%-120%), total ammonia nitrogen (0-0.8 mg/L), and nitrite nitrogen (0-0.6 mg/L). Photoperiod was 12-hr daylight and 12-hr darkness (artificial lighting controlled by a timer).…”

“…Insect meals are among the most promising novel protein sources in aquafeeds due to their nutritional compositions such as protein content and amino acid profile as well as their potential for commercial-scale production to meet the demand for alternative protein sources in aquafeeds [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Mealworms are insects rich in proteins (47%-60% on a dry weight basis; DW) and lipids (31%-43% DW) and with favorable amino acid and fatty acid profiles for animal feeds [8].…”

Biofloc Technology (BFT) in Aquaculture: What Goes Right, What Goes Wrong? A Scientific-Based Snapshot

“…Over the last 30 years, aquaculture has experienced unprecedented growth, currently accounting for more than half of the world's fish needs and playing a crucial role in food security, income generation, and economic development [1,2]. As a result, aquaculture has emerged as a significant driver of economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries, with the potential to generate vital income through small-, medium-, and large-scale commercial aquaculture [3][4][5]. However, to meet the growing demand for safe and high-quality aquatic protein, especially fish and shrimp, aquaculture requires appropriate production systems capable of sustaining higher stocking densities, maintaining acceptable water quality levels, ensuring optimal health and performance, while addressing biosecurity and environmental concerns [6].…”

Strategies for promoting sustainable aquaculture in arid and semi-arid areas – A review

“…The growth of aquaculture has often been at the expense of the environment (Keshavarzifard et al, 2020;Sharifinia et al, 2015;Yeganeh et al, 2020). Considering that the aquaculture industry has a great potential to feed and nourish the growing world population, so its development should be sustainable (Khanjani et al, 2022 e, f;Sharifinia et al, 2023). Over the next decade, aquaculture is projected to grow by 1-2 percent annually as the world's population grows to 9.7 billion by 2050.…”