Novel Aquafeed Towards A Sustainable Aquaculture

With World Health Organization estimation of population increase to over 9 billion by 2050, malnutrition and food insecurity are predicated to be two of the main challenges facing the world in the future. Fish is a source of protein that can have a significant contribution for solving the global food crisis. Fish for human consumption is provided by both the aquaculture industry and the capture fisheries, however, the flat-lined production of seafood from capture fisheries means aquaculture production should double in number to provide enough protein by 2050. Culturing fish at higher densities is being used as a way to increase the global aquaculture production. Modern aquaculture intensified practices expose the fish to various stressors that can negatively impact their welfare. Good nutrition can improve the health status of aquacultured fish while accumulation of specific nutrient can add value to the fillet. In line with that, the studies described in this dissertation aimed to examine the vital role of fish in human health and evaluate strategies to improve the sustainable aquaculture production of fish using novel aquafeeds. This was completed by conducting a survey of the essential minerals and heavy metals of commercially available catfish, salmon, and tilapia fillets in the United States marketplace and three fish nutritional trials to evaluate the impacts of novel aquafeeds on production and health of fish and the food quality of their respective fillets. Selenium with the established health benefit for human and fish was the trace mineral of interest in this dissertation. This element is the main component of a group of selenium containing proteins called selenoproteins that are antioxidant and maintain oxidative homeostasis of fish and human. Additionally, selenium is an antagonist for many heavy metals such as mercury. The market study revealed that catfish, salmon and tilapia samples available in United States marketplace are good source of selenium, zinc and phosphorous. The concentration of heavy metals in all the samples were lower than safety standards. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are two economically important aquacultured fish, were used as animal models in the fish nutritional trials. Different forms of selenium supplemented to Nile tilapia diet. The form of Dietary Se form did not have any significant (p>0.05) effect on growth, and plasma and hepatic GPX activity of Nile tilapia. However, organic selenium supplement showed significantly (p<0.05) higher bioavailability and accumulated in the fillets at the significantly higher concentration. In the second fish trial selenoneine, a novel selenium containing compound, was supplemented at various concentrations to rainbow trout diet. Other than growth parameters multiple other health biomarkers (lysozyme, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activities) were examined to determine whether selenoneine supplementation had a positive impact on fish health. Selenoneine enriched diet significantly(p<0.05) increased the weight gain, lysozyme and oxidative enzymes activities of rainbow trout. Lastly rainbow trout feed was supplemented with commercially available probiotic (Actisaf®), prebiotic (Safmmann®), and their mixture (synbiotic). These dietary supplements did not have any significant effect on fish production but led to a significant increase in activity of oxidative enzymes in plasma when compared to control diet. These results suggest that feed supplements used in this dissertation can be used to promote the fish health raised in recirculating aquaculture systems and support an economically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture.