Advances in Aquaculture Feed Additives

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Feeding".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2025 | Viewed by 3246

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Aquaculture Laboratory, Catarinense Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Campus Araquari, Araquari 89245-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Interests: biofloc; multi-trophic aquaculture; culture systems; feed additives; probiotics; bioremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Aquaculture Laboratory, Catarinense Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Campus Araquari, Araquari 89245-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Interests: nutrition and immune response of aquatic animals; feed additives; gut health and microbiome; host and microbe interactions; “omics” applied to animal physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Feed additives play a crucial role in aquaculture, significantly contributing to the health and growth of aquatic organisms. Studying these additives is essential for optimizing nutrition, improving feed efficiency, and ensuring the sustainability of aquaculture production. They can include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, organic acids, essential oils, and probiotics, among others, each with specific functions, such as strengthening the immune system, increasing feed digestibility, and improving meat quality.

Furthermore, the proper use of feed additives can reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture by decreasing antimicrobial use and minimizing the nutrient and waste emissions polluting the waters. Research in this area is also vital to ensuring the safety of additives for both animals and end consumers. With a focus on the above, we invite contributions to the Special Issue titled "Advances in Aquaculture Feed Additives".

Prof. Dr. Adolfo Jatobá
Prof. Dr. Delano Dias Schleder
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nutrition
  • functional foods
  • probiotics
  • fish health
  • fish immunity

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 277 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Apparent Nutrient Digestibility of Novel and Conventional Feed Ingredients in Sobaity Seabream (Sparidentex hasta) for Sustainable Aquaculture
by Seemab Zehra, Aboobucker S. Abul Kasim, Reda Saleh, Paulo De Mello, Ali Alshaikhi, Joseph Laranja, Yousef Alhafedh, Brett D. Glencross, Majed A. Alghamdi and Asaad Widaa Mohamed
Fishes 2025, 10(6), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10060265 - 3 Jun 2025
Viewed by 235
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for nutrients and energy of seven conventional and alternative feed ingredients (poultry feather meal, fermented feather meal, mealworm meal, defatted black soldier fly, Chlorella, poultry by-product meal, and corn meal) when fed to [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for nutrients and energy of seven conventional and alternative feed ingredients (poultry feather meal, fermented feather meal, mealworm meal, defatted black soldier fly, Chlorella, poultry by-product meal, and corn meal) when fed to Sobaity seabream (Sparidentex hasta), with the goal of identifying sustainable, digestible, and nutritionally viable ingredients for aquaculture feed formulations. A reference diet (RF) was formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of Sobaity seabream while test diets were prepared to contain 70% RF and 30% of the test ingredients. Sobaity seabream (200 ± 8.0 g) were fed the diets for seven days before fecal matter was collected by stripping. The whole length of the digestibility trial was 21 days. The ingredient apparent digestibility of dry matter (34.8–70.4%), crude protein (52.8–107.8%), crude lipid (67.7–112.9%), and energy (52.2–86.1%) were affected by test ingredients (p < 0.01). The dry matter digestibility of mealworm meal was the highest (70.4%) compared to other ingredients. Feather meal, Chlorella, and black soldier fly meal had significantly lower values of dry matter digestibility. Dry matter and crude protein were significantly more digestible in fermented feather meal than the feather meal without fermentation. The crude protein digestibility was significantly higher (107.8%) for mealworm meal. However, feather meal has shown a significantly lower value (52.8%) for crude protein digestibility compared to other ingredients. Energy digestibility showed a significant positive correlation with dry matter digestibility (r = 0.870). The energy digestibility of mealworm meal was significantly higher (86.1%, p < 0.05) than other ingredients. Feather meal had the lowest energy digestibility (52.2%) with no statistically significant difference from Chlorella, corn meal, and black soldier fly meal. This study indicates that mealworm meal is the most easily digestible protein source for Sobaity seabream and should be prioritized in their diets. Fermentation enhances the digestibility of feather meal and is recommended when using it. Ingredients with a lower digestibility, like feather meal, chlorella, and black soldier fly meal, should be used in moderation or undergo further processing to improve nutrient availability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aquaculture Feed Additives)
9 pages, 660 KiB  
Article
Dietary Supplementation of Astragalus Polysaccharides Modulates Growth Physiology, Metabolic Homeostasis, and Innate Immune Responses in Rice Field Eels (Monopterus albus)
by Chengcheng Wu, Hang Yang, Yutong Yang, Quan Yuan, Weiwei Lv, Gelana Urgesa Ayana, Mingyou Li, Di Su, Wenzong Zhou and Qinghua Zhang
Fishes 2025, 10(5), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10050213 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 877
Abstract
To investigate the dietary effects of Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs) on the growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and non-specific immunity of Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) during the domestication stage, fish were randomly allocated into quadruplicate groups receiving Tenebrio molitor-based [...] Read more.
To investigate the dietary effects of Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs) on the growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and non-specific immunity of Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) during the domestication stage, fish were randomly allocated into quadruplicate groups receiving Tenebrio molitor-based diets supplemented with Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs) at graded concentrations of 0 (CON), 700 (APS1), 1400 (APS2), and 2100 (APS3) mg/kg body weight for 28 days. The results showed that dietary APSs at 700–1400 mg/kg·bw significantly enhanced the weight gain rate (WG) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of M. albus (p < 0.05). Concurrently, hematological analysis revealed that hemoglobin levels increased by 19.9% and 23.0% in the 700 and 1400 mg/kg APS groups, respectively (p < 0.05). In terms of lipid metabolism, supplementation with APSs significantly increased the serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) content in all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Lower serum triglyceride (TG) levels were found in the APS2 group (p < 0.05), and decreased triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were displayed in the APS3 group (p < 0.05). Among the antioxidant parameters, the supplementation with 700 mg/kg·bw APSs significantly increased the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activity levels of M. albus (p < 0.05). The APS2 group had a significantly increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and CAT activity levels (p < 0.05), and the APS3 group had significantly increased CAT activity levels (p < 0.05). In addition, the APS1 and APS3 groups had significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p < 0.05). In terms of non-specific immunity, the APS1 and APS2 groups showed significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lysozyme (LZM) activity levels of M. albus (p < 0.05), and the addition of 700 mg/kg·bw APSs significantly increased the levels of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of acid phosphatase (ACP) activity were significantly increased in all experimental groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the optimal APS addition for T. molitor as biocarrier bait is 700 mg/kg, corresponding to 352 mg/kg, which elicits improvements in the growth parameters, lipid homeostasis regulation, oxidative stress mitigation, and innate immune potentiation of M. albus during the domestication stage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aquaculture Feed Additives)
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17 pages, 3169 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Silkworm-Derived (Bombyx mori) Functional Substance (Silkrose-BM) on the Fish Meat Quality of Yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata)
by Athira Athira, Haruki Nishiguchi, Daichi Hayashi, Yuki Otsu, Chiemi Miura, Ibnu Bangkit Bioshina Suryadi, Muhammad Fariz Zahir Ali and Takeshi Miura
Fishes 2025, 10(3), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10030130 - 17 Mar 2025
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Popular foods such as sushi and sashimi depend on the quality of raw fish meat to maintain consumer satisfaction. Recently, dietary insect meal and insect-derived substances have been extensively studied for application in aquaculture as a protein alternative or immunostimulant. However, the impact [...] Read more.
Popular foods such as sushi and sashimi depend on the quality of raw fish meat to maintain consumer satisfaction. Recently, dietary insect meal and insect-derived substances have been extensively studied for application in aquaculture as a protein alternative or immunostimulant. However, the impact of insect functional substances on the fish meat quality of teleosts remains unclear. Here, we investigated the influence of dietary inclusion of silkrose-BM, a novel bioactive polysaccharide derived from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, on the meat quality of yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata). This study was conducted by comparing two groups given different feeds, commercial EP and feeds containing Silkrose-BM (0.1%), after a culture period of six months in separate floating-net cages. The yellowtail were specifically cut into loins and several meat quality parameters were observed, including proximate, meat color changes, total collagen, drip loss, muscle histology, and gene expression (qRT-PCR). The results of the color-change analysis showed that discoloration of red muscle in the EP feed group occurred faster than in the silkrose-BM group, indicating an antioxidant property of silkrose-BM. Dietary silkrose-BM also significantly reduced drip loss and increased the total collagen content of yellowtail meat. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis showed that genes related to lipid and protein degradation were downregulated in the muscles of fish fed on silkrose-BM. In contrast, proximate analysis indicated no significant change in the nutritional composition of the meat between the groups. Taken together, our results suggest that dietary silkrose-BM could improve fish meat quality by minimizing protein denaturation and inhibiting lipid oxidation during fish meat storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aquaculture Feed Additives)
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14 pages, 1130 KiB  
Article
Effects of Blending Curcuma longa Hydrolate and Lactobacillus plantarum on the Growth and Health of Nile Tilapia
by Adolfo Jatobá, Marina de Oliveira Pereira, Gabriel Fernandes Alves Jesus, Scheila Anelise Pereira Dutra, José Luiz Pedreira Mouriño, Marco Shizuo Owatari and Delano Dias Schleder
Fishes 2024, 9(12), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9120503 - 10 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1055
Abstract
In the present study, Curcuma longa (CL) hydrolate and the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) were provided as dietary supplements to Nile tilapia. One hundred ninety-two juvenile tilapias (2.25 ± 0.14 g and 4.5 ± 0.10 cm) were distributed in sixteen experimental units, and [...] Read more.
In the present study, Curcuma longa (CL) hydrolate and the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) were provided as dietary supplements to Nile tilapia. One hundred ninety-two juvenile tilapias (2.25 ± 0.14 g and 4.5 ± 0.10 cm) were distributed in sixteen experimental units, and four experimental groups were established: CL [CUR]: fish fed a diet supplemented with CL hydrolate at 2.5%; probiotic [PRO]: a diet supplemented with LP; LP + CL [COMB]: diet supplemented with the LP strain cultivated in media supplemented with 2.5% CL hydrolate; and control [CTRL]: diet without supplementation. After 70 days, the final average weight was significantly greater in the PRO group (33.26 ± 1.12 g) than in the CTRL and CUR groups, whereas the specific growth rate was significantly greater in the PRO and COMB groups than in the CTRL and CUR groups. Feed conversion decreased significantly in the PRO group (1.03 ± 0.11). Dietary supplementation did not change the body composition of tilapia. Leukocyte and lymphocyte counts were greater in the PRO treatment than in the CTRL group. Compared with those in the CTRL group, total serum protein was significantly increased in the PRO group. Immunoglobulins were higher in the COMB and PRO groups. In the experimental challenge, all the fish in the treated groups presented lower cumulative mortality rates. The combination of LP and CL improved the growth parameters of Nile tilapia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aquaculture Feed Additives)
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