Special Issue "Advances in Dietary Protein Research: Shaping Innovative Feeds for a Sustainable Ocean"
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2021.
Special Issue Editors
Interests: aquaculture; nutrition, amino acids; alternative ingredients; fish welfare
Interests: aquaculture; nutrition; growth; protein metabolism; feeding strategies
Interests: nutritional immunology; functional feeds; amino acids; sustainable aquaculture; animal welfare
Special Issue Information
Aquaculture has been facing the challenge to find alternative ingredients for innovative feed formulations that foster a sustainable future growth. Protein is the most expensive ingredient in feeds for fish and shrimp, and research on alternative proteins to fishmeal is being fruitful in the surge of sustainable feeds. Current knowledge indicates that the importance of protein and its constituents (amino acids) goes beyond growth, and aspects such as fish health and welfare must be taken into consideration in the development of novel feeds.
In this Special Issue, we invite contributions focusing on protein nutrition in fish and shrimp, at all developmental stages, in the following research topics:
- Protein and amino acid requirements;
- Alternative/non-conventional dietary proteins;
- Inclusion of protein hydrolysates and amino acids as nutritional strategies to improve fish performance and robustness;
- Effects of alternative proteins, hydrolysates, and amino acids on stress and/or immune responses, as well as their impacts on health and welfare.
Gathering information not only on how alternative proteins, hydrolysates, and amino acids affect growth performance and feed efficiency but also on their impacts on the immune system and disease resistance is of utmost importance to the development of innovative diets for fish and shrimp that guarantee a sustainable ocean future.
Dr. Cláudia Aragão
Dr. Sofia Engrola
Dr. Benjamín Costas
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- protein nutrition
- alternative proteins
- protein hydrolysates
- amino acids
- fish nutrition
- shrimp nutrition
- nutrition and health
- nutrition and welfare
- nutrition and immune response
- nutrition and stress response
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: The Use of Full Fat and Defatted Zophobas morio Larvae Meal as a Fishmeal Protein Replacer in the Diet of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Adamantia Asimaki1, Pier Psofakis1, Marina C. Neofytou1, Elli-Z. Gkalogianni1, Eleni Mente1, Christos I. Rum-bos2, Christos G. Athanassiou2, Eleni Fountoulaki3, Morgane Henry3 and Ioannis T. Karapanag
Affiliation: 1 Aquaculture Laboratory, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
2 Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
3 Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Athens, Greece
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Growth and Welfare of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) In Response to Graded Levels of Insect and Poultry by-Product Meals in Fish Meal-Deprived Diets
Authors: Di Marco P.1, Cardinaletti G.2, Faccenda F.3, Messina M.2, Donadelli V1., Daniso E.2, Petochi T. 1, Volpatti D.2, Bulfon C.2, Finoia, M.G.1, Longobardi A1, Marino G.1, Tibaldi E.2
Affiliation: 1 ISPRA Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Rome, Italy
2 Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (Di4A), University of Udine, Italy
3 Foundation Edmund Mach, Technology Transfer Centre, S. Michele all’Adige, Italy
Abstract: There is a growing interest on processed animal proteins (PAPs) as alternative or complementary sources to conventional proteins in diets for carnivorous fish. The present study evaluated growth and welfare of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fed over 13 weeks isoproteic and isolipidic diets (45% and 26% DM) deprived of fish meal, where graded levels (10, 30, 60%) of protein from plant sources of a soybean meal-rich diet (Veg) were replaced by protein from poultry by-product meal (PBM) and H. illucens pupae meal (BSFM) singly or in combination. In addition, a fish meal based diet (Fish) was also tested. Each of the resulting 8 diets, was offered to triplicate groups of fish (ibw 54 g). At the end of the trial growth response, activity and gene expression of gut enzymes and markers of stress, blood chemistry, liver histology and innate immune parameters where analysed. Moderate to high substitution of vegetable protein with BSFM or PBM resulted in improved growth and N retention, while a diet combining the test ingredients (H10P50) resulted in the best FCR. Changes in gut brush border enzyme activity due to the diet were small in magnitude. Gastric chitinase was up-regulated in fish fed diet H60 compared to those fed H10, H30, CV and CF. Gut peptide and amino acid transport genes expression (PepT1 and B(0)AT) were barely modulated by the PAP source and inclusion level. Dietary treatments did not affect serum cortisol levels (P>0.05), suggesting no stress in fish. Serum protein, albumin, triglycerides and cholesterol concentration in fish fed diets H60, P60, and H10P50 were similar to those of fish fed diet Veg, while serum proteins were slightly but significantly reduced in those fed diets P30 and H10. Serum cholesterol was higher in fish fed diet Fish compared to the other ones (P<0.05). Moderate liver steatosis was observed in fish fed diets including PBM, while lipid accumulation and hepatosomatic index were slightly attenuated in those including BSFM. Liver hsp70 gene was down-regulated and the respiratory burst activity of head kidney leukocytes was lowered as the dietary level of both PAPs increased in the diet compared to diet Veg. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) was up-regulated in the intestine of fish fed the Veg diet . Although all diets ensured good nutritional status to fish, the result of the present investigation show that replacing dietary plant protein for moderate to high level of protein from PBM and BSFM represent a valuable strategy to improve growth and welfare in trout fed fish meal free diets.