Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Lenz, Gabriela; Martins, Rejane Macedo; Riet, Jade; Azevedo, Raíza dos Santos; Cardoso, Arthur; Nornberg, Bruna Félix da Silva; Bessonart, Martín; Magnone, Larisa; Marins, Luis Fernando Fernandes; Anni, Iuri Salim Abou; Gonçalves, Tatiane Penteado; Christ-Ribeiro, Anelise; Tesser, Marcelo Borges

doi:10.3390/fermentation11100567

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Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

by

Gabriela Lenz

¹,

Rejane Macedo Martins

²,

Jade Riet

³,

Raíza dos Santos Azevedo

³

,

Arthur Cardoso

³

,

Bruna Félix da Silva Nornberg

³,

Martín Bessonart

⁴

,

Larisa Magnone

⁴

,

Luis Fernando Fernandes Marins

³,

Iuri Salim Abou Anni

³,

Tatiane Penteado Gonçalves

³,

Anelise Christ-Ribeiro

² and

Marcelo Borges Tesser

^1,*

¹

Laboratory of Nutrition of Aquatic Organisms, Institute of Oceanography (IO), Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rua do Hotel, 2—Querência, Rio Grande 96210-030, RS, Brazil

²

Food Chemistry Laboratory, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália, Km 8, Rio Grande 96203-900, RS, Brazil

³

LEGENE—Research Group in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Italia Km 8, Rio Grande 96203-900, RS, Brazil

⁴

Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of the Republic (UDELAR), Montevideo 11200, Uruguay

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Fermentation 2025, 11(10), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100567

Submission received: 2 August 2025 / Revised: 23 September 2025 / Accepted: 29 September 2025 / Published: 30 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Fermentation Strategies for the Valorization of Food By-Products and Their Bioactive Potential)

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Abstract

The growing demand for aquaculture has driven the search for sustainable practices and utilization of agro-industrial residues. Brown rice bran, an abundant and low-cost by-product, has emerged as a promising raw material. This dissertation aimed to evaluate solid-state fermentation (SSF) of rice bran using the fungus Rhizopus oryzae and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the goal of improving its nutritional value for use in diets formulated for zebrafish (Danio rerio). Proximate composition analyses revealed the strong biotransformation potential of Rhizopus oryzae. Fermentation with this fungus resulted in a significant 36.45% increase in protein content, a 51.62% increase in total polyphenols, and a 13.7% reduction in lipid content. In an in vivo experiment, zebrafish fed a diet containing rice bran fermented by R. oryzae showed the best zootechnical performance, with higher weight gain, specific growth rate, and improved feed conversion. Gene expression analysis showed a significant difference only for glut6, which is related to glucose transport. In summary, the fermentation of brown rice bran with Rhizopus oryzae represents an effective strategy to enhance its nutritional profile, establishing it as a viable alternative for the formulation of more sustainable and efficient diets in aquaculture.

Keywords: animal nutrition; agro-industrial by-product; proximate composition; Rhizopus oryzae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Danio rerio; rice fermentation; solid-state Fermentation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lenz, G.; Martins, R.M.; Riet, J.; Azevedo, R.d.S.; Cardoso, A.; Nornberg, B.F.d.S.; Bessonart, M.; Magnone, L.; Marins, L.F.F.; Anni, I.S.A.; et al. Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fermentation 2025, 11, 567. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100567

AMA Style

Lenz G, Martins RM, Riet J, Azevedo RdS, Cardoso A, Nornberg BFdS, Bessonart M, Magnone L, Marins LFF, Anni ISA, et al. Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fermentation. 2025; 11(10):567. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100567

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lenz, Gabriela, Rejane Macedo Martins, Jade Riet, Raíza dos Santos Azevedo, Arthur Cardoso, Bruna Félix da Silva Nornberg, Martín Bessonart, Larisa Magnone, Luis Fernando Fernandes Marins, Iuri Salim Abou Anni, and et al. 2025. "Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)" Fermentation 11, no. 10: 567. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100567

APA Style

Lenz, G., Martins, R. M., Riet, J., Azevedo, R. d. S., Cardoso, A., Nornberg, B. F. d. S., Bessonart, M., Magnone, L., Marins, L. F. F., Anni, I. S. A., Gonçalves, T. P., Christ-Ribeiro, A., & Tesser, M. B. (2025). Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fermentation, 11(10), 567. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100567

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Diet Formulated with Rice Bran Fermented by Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Impacts on Zootechnical Performance and Intestinal Gene Expression in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

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