Effects of fish oil and partial fish meal substitution with oilseed oils and meals on growth performance, nutrient utilization and health of the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of the replacement of dietary fish meal and fish oil with oilseed meals (soybean or canola) and canola oil on growth, nutrient utilization, body composition, diet digestibility and hematological parameters of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Seven diets were used; the control diet (designated FM) contained fish meal and fish oil as the main protein and lipid sources. For the experimental diets, 40% of fish meal protein was substituted with soybean meal, canola meal or a soybean/canola meal mixture, and these diets (designated SM, CM and SCM, respectively) contained fish oil as the lipid source. Three additional diets (SM?+?CO, CM?+?CO and SCM?+?CO) were formulated with the same vegetable protein meals but with fish oil replaced by canola oil. Fish were fed twice daily to apparent satiation for 11?weeks. The growth of fish fed the CM?+?CO diet was significantly lower than that of fish fed the FM, SCM, SM?+?CO and SCM?+?CO diets. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly better in fish fed the FM and SCM?+?CO diets than in fish fed the CM and CM?+?CO diets. Furthermore, feed intake was significantly lower for fish fed the CM?+?CO diet than in fish fed the SCM diet, and lipid digestibility of the CM?+?CO diet was significantly lower than that of all other diets. No significant differences of body composition were observed. Circulating leukocyte levels, leukocyte ratios and serum lysozyme activity remained unaffected by dietary treatment. However, it was observed that fish fed the CM?+?CO diet displayed hematocrit levels significantly lower (P?<?0.05) than that of fish fed the other diets. The results indicate that when diets contain either fish oil or canola oil, canola meal and soybean meal can be incorporated into rainbow trout feeds at a combined 32% inclusion level (replacing 40% of fish meal protein) without inducing significant negative effects on growth, nutrient utilization or health.     

暗纹东方鲀饲料中豆粕替代鱼粉的营养生理效应及其与大豆抗原蛋白的相关性

选择体质量为(39.84±3.09)g暗纹东方鲀,分为8组,分别饲喂等氮等能的高鱼粉组、低鱼粉组、低鱼粉发酵豆粕组、低鱼粉豆粕组4组实用饲料和添加大豆抗原蛋白的半纯化饲料(大豆抗原蛋白含量分别为0%、5%、8%和12.5%),进行为期两个月的生长实验,探讨大豆抗原蛋白对暗纹东方鲀生长和生理生化的影响。结果显示,用发酵豆粕替代部分鱼粉的低鱼粉发酵豆粕组生长性能显著优于低鱼粉组,用豆粕替代部分鱼粉的低鱼粉豆粕组与低鱼粉组无显著差异。半纯化饲料中随着大豆抗原蛋白含量增加,生长率呈现先增后降趋势;实用饲料和半纯化饲料对肌肉组成有不同程度的影响;在肝脏丙二醛、总抗氧化能力和血清丙二醛指标中,低鱼粉豆粕组显著高于低鱼粉组,低鱼粉发酵豆粕组则与低鱼粉组无显著性差异,半纯化饲料系列在8%组出现峰值,显著高于其他组。低鱼粉豆粕组血清谷草转氨酶活性显著高于低鱼粉组,低鱼粉发酵豆粕组与低鱼粉组相比无显著性差异,半纯化饲料组谷草转氨酶和谷丙转氨酶呈现先增后减趋势。研究表明,与豆粕替代鱼粉相比,用发酵豆粕替代鱼粉更能促进鱼体生长;大豆抗原蛋白是影响豆粕替代鱼粉效果的重要因素,但对生长、抗氧化性能和生理生化指标的影响则因大豆抗原蛋白的含量与单独存在与否而异。     

兰州鲇对4种饲料原料的离体消化率和酶解能力

采用离体消化法,测定了离体状态下兰州鲇(Silurus lanzhouensis)(278.6±26.7)g的胃、肠道及肝胰脏对鱼粉、豆粕、菜粕和棉粕等4种饲料原料的消化率和酶解速度。结果显示:离体状态下兰州鲇消化道各部位的消化能力和酶解能力依次为前肠、中肠、肝胰脏、后肠和胃。离体状态下,胃、肠道及肝胰脏对鱼粉的干物质和粗蛋白的消化率最高,其次为豆粕、菜粕和棉粕(P<0.05);对鱼粉的酶解速度最高,其次为豆粕、菜粕和棉粕。结果表明,兰州鲇前肠和中肠消化能力较强,饲料的消化主要集中在这两个部位;在离体状态下,鱼粉的蛋白易于被各部位酶解产生氨基酸,比其他3种饲料更易被兰州鲇吸收。     

The Effects of Substituting Selected Oilseed Protein Concentrates for Fish Meal in Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Diets

Three oilseed protein concentrates (soybean, canola, and sunflower) were evaluated to determine their potential, when supplemented with deficient essential amino acids, to partially or completely replace fish meal in diets fed to rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss . Triplicate aquaria of juvenile trout (average weight of 12 g) were fed the experimental diets for 10 wk, at which time the average weight of the fish was approximately sixfold higher than the initial weight. Average fish weight gains on diets in which the protein component was 100% fish meal; 75% fish meal, 25% soybean protein concentrate; 50% fish meal, 50% soybean protein concentrate; and 75% fish meal, 25% sunflowerseed protein concentrate were not significantly different ( P < 0.05). The average weight of fish fed a commercial feed was significantly lower than that of fish fed the 100% fish meal diet, but not significantly different from fish fed the three other formulations mentioned above. Fish fed diets containing 50% fish meal, 50% canola protein concentrate; and 25% fish meal, 75% sunflowerseed protein concentrate had significantly lower average final weights than those of fish fed the other diets. Feed conversion ratio patterns among the dietary treatment groups reflected those of weight gain. Fish survival exceeded 95% on all diets. Apparent protein digestibility coefficients ranged from 79.5% (75% soybean protein concentrate, 25% canola protein concentrate) to 90.6% (100% soybean protein concentrate). The results of this study demonstrated that certain oilseed protein concentrates have good potential as protein sources in rainbow trout feeds when properly supplemented with essential amino acids.     

Digestibility of diets containing different soybean meals in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua); comparison of collection methods and mapping of digestibility in different sections of the gastrointestinal tract

The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate effects of partial replacement of fish meal with soybean meal on digestibility in Atlantic cod and effects of biotechnological processing of soybean meal. Other objectives were to find out if apparent digestibility in cod was affected by age, temperature and/or faecal sampling methods, and to map digestion and absorption patterns along the intestinal tract for different age classes and diets. A control diet with fish meal as the main protein source (FM), a diet with 24% of crude protein from conventional extracted soybean meal (SBM), and a diet with 24% of crude protein from a bioprocessed soybean meal (BP-SBM) were used. Yttrium oxide was added as an inert marker for digestibility determination. The diets were fed to duplicate groups of 534 g (1-year-old) and 1750 g (2-year-old) cod in seawater. Faeces were stripped from the distal-most section (distal chamber) of the intestine after 48 and 84 days of feeding. In addition, intestinal contents were removed by dissection after 84 days. The dissected intestine was divided into 5 sections and contents were analysed separately. Dietary soy did not alter the viscosity of the digesta. The replacement of fish meal protein with soybean protein reduced the apparent digestibility of crude protein, fat, energy and almost all amino acids, independent of type of soybean meal processing. Larger fish had higher digestibility of starch, ash and several amino acids than smaller fish. A temperature decrease from 9.1 °C at feeding day 48 to 6.8 °C at day 84 resulted in lower digestibility of starch, ash and several amino acids. Absorption of amino acids was quantitatively terminated in the distal part of the mid intestine when feeding the soy-containing diets, but continued into the distal chamber when feeding the FM diet. Absorption of fat was completed in the proximal part of the mid intestine when feeding the soy-containing diets, but continued into the middle part of the mid intestine when feeding the FM diet. Soy did not affect absorption pattern of starch along the intestinal tract. Faecal sampling by dissection resulted in higher apparent digestibility of macronutrients than stripping in the 2-year-old cod, and higher apparent digestibility of protein in the 1-year olds.     

In vivo and in vitro protein digestibility and growth performance of animal and no‐conventional plant ingredients for river prawn Macrobrachium americanum (Caridea: Palaemonidae)

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of non‐traditional plant and animal protein for river prawn M. americanum on in vivo versus in vitro digestibility in addition to growth performance. In this study, ten ingredients were used: coconut meal, jackfruit meal, soybean meal, poultry by‐product meal, squid meal and fish meal. In vivo studies were conducted using the zeolite marker method, whereas in vitro digestibility was determined by the pH‐stat method using river prawn hepatopancreas enzymes. According to the findings, river prawns digest animals more efficiently than plant ingredients, with squid and fish meal showing a tendency of higher values. Fish meal (53.66%), squid meal (48.52%) and jackfruit meal (42.21%) were found to have a digestibility greater than 40% in in vivo and in vitro methods, thus suggesting that they are the best ingredients used in this study. This also validates their inclusion in practical diets. The correlation of digestibility of in vivo and in vitro was low (R² = .6749). The highest daily weight gain was recorded in the diets containing jackfruit, coconut and squid. Given that the potential of no‐conventional plant ingredients available regionally was significantly higher, this underscores the need to conduct further research to validate their inclusion in practical diets.     

Improving high soy feed formulations for the Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus through newer soy products and carbohydrase supplementation

Florida pompano perform well on soy‐based, low‐animal protein diets. These diets may be improved through the use of enzymes as a feed supplement or as pretreatment of the soy product prior to inclusion. Novel soy products produced through enzyme treatment or fermentation often have higher protein content and lower levels of indigestible carbohydrates. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the potential of enzyme supplements. The first trial evaluated the effects of carbohydrase supplementation to diets based on two different soybean meals (commodity or selectively bred meal). Pompano fed the selected soybean had significantly improved growth rates and feed efficiency, while enzymatic supplementation had no significant effect on fish performance. However, enzyme supplementation increased phosphorus and energy retention when added to diets based on commodity soybean meal. Carbohydrase supplementation improved dry matter digestibility in commodity soy‐based diets but had no significant effect on selected soybean‐based diets. The second growth trial consisted of an increasing inclusion of an enzymatically treated soybean meal product (NutriVance). Results indicate that NutriVance can replace the totality of commodity soybean without impacting fish performance. Digestibility of the commodity soy, NutriVance, and a fermented soybean meal (Pepsoygen) was also evaluated, with no detectable difference in digestibility values.     

Utilization of soybean meal as an alternative protein source in the Mediterranean yellowtail, Seriola dumerili

The availability of defatted soybean meal as a substitute for fish meal was evaluated in juvenile (450 g on average) yellowtail fed diets containing several levels of soybean meal (from 20 to 50%). After 153 days, liveweight averages were 980, 925, 795 and 670 g for fish fed diets in which fish meal was partially substituted with 20, 30, 40 and 50% soybean meal, and feed conversion ratios were 2.79, 3.09, 4.57 and 6.52, respectively. Regression analysis showed a negative effect of inclusion of soybean, although fish fed diets containing 20% and 30% of soybean did not present statistical differences and grew significantly more, and had a better feed conversion ratio, than fish fed 40 or 50% diets. Likewise, muscle protein level was lower and lipid content was higher in fish fed 20 or 30% soybean. No differences were obtained for protein digestibility coefficients of experimental diets.     

Replacement of Soybean Meal by Lupin Meal in Practical Diets for Juvenile Penaeus monodon

The potential of lupin meal as an alternative protein source to soybean meal in isonitrogenous practical diets for the juvenile black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon was evaluated through the studies of growth, digestibility and pellet water stability. Five isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 40% protein. Protein from dehulled Lupinus albus seed meal replaced 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the protein from defatted soybean in the diets. Juvenile P. monodon (4.35 × 0.31 g) were assigned randomly and fed each test diet at a daily feeding rate of 5 % body weight for 42 d in triplicate tanks equipped with a flow-through sea water system. No statistically significant differences were observed in weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein conversion efficiency and apparent protein utilization of shrimp fed diets with 0, 25, and 50% replacement. Shrimp fed the diet with total replacement of soybean meal by lupin meal had the poorest performance (P < 0.05) with regard to the above parameters. Survival was similar (87%) for all dietary treatments. The apparent dry matter digestibility and apparent protein digestibility were similar for all diets ranging between 70.5 and 72.8% and 89.7 and 90.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in whole body composition (dry matter, lipid, protein and ash) of shrimp on the various diets. The poorest pellet water stability was displayed by the diet with 100% replacement while the diet containing a combination of soybean meal and lupin meal (50% replacement) was the most stable. The results have demonstrated that dehulled lupin seed L. albus meal has good potential as a substitute protein source for up to 50% of the protein from defatted soybean meal and could be included up to 17% inclusion level in juvenile P. monodon practical diets with no adverse effects on growth, feed intake, FCR, survival, feed utilization, body composition, and digestibility coefficients of dry matter and protein.     

Apparent digestibility of protein, energy, and amino acids in some selected feed ingredients for pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus

The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of amino acids (AA), protein, and energy in six feed ingredients (Brazilian fish meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, alcoholic yeast, corn, and wheat bran) we evaluated for pacu juveniles. In general, all ingredients showed high digestibility values for all AA, and differences among ADCs of individual amino acid were detected ( P  < 0.01). Corn gluten, soybean, and fish meals had the highest ADCs of AA. The ADCs of protein in fish meal, yeast, and corn gluten meal should not be used as AA digestibility indicators, because those showed differences up to 6.7% between the ADCs of protein and AA. All ingredients had lower ADCs of energy than corn gluten meal ( P  < 0.01). Lysine was the first limiting amino acid in fish meal, corn gluten meal, wheat bran, and corn, and the second limiting amino acid in soybean meal, as methionine was the first limiting amino acid in soybean meal and yeast. However, the soybean meal was the best quality protein source, as it had the highest digestible essential amino acid index. This demonstrated that digestible amino acid values can be used to formulate practical diets for pacu, preventing potential deficiencies or excess that might cause environmental and economic losses.     

Alcohol soluble components of soybeans seem to reduce fat digestibility in fish-meal-based diets for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

A commercially available soybean molasses (alcohol extract from soybean meal) was included at levels of 0. 5,10,15 and 20% in a fish meal based diet for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., weighing about 75 g. These inclusion levels supplied dietary alcohol soluble components corresponding to levels that would have been obtained if a standard soybean meal was included at levels up to about 70%. The fish were reared in fresh water at 9^oC and with a minimum of 7 ppm O₂ at outlet, and fed the experimental diets for 14 days before the faeces were stripped. Digestibility coefficients were determined using chromic oxide as an indigestible indicator. The digestibility of fat, and particularly the long-chained, saturated-and monounsaturated fatty acids, were significantly reduced by increasing the inclusion level of soybean molasses, whereas digestibility of dry matter, protein (%N x 6.25) and polyunsaturated fatty acids were not affected significantly. The present results show that alcohol-soluble components of soybeans may be responsible for a significant part of the negative effects of standard soybean meal in diets for Atlantic salmon.     

Apparent digestibility coefficients of selected protein feed ingredients for loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

Apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, crude protein, lipid and energy, and amino acids availability in white fish meal, brown fish meal, meat meal, fermented soybean meal, soybean meal and rapeseed meal were determined for loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) (12.05 ± 0.21 g), using a reference diet with 5 g kg^?1 chromic oxide and test diets that contained 700 g kg^?1 reference diet, by weight, and 300 g kg^?1 of the test feed ingredients. The juvenile loach was held in 300‐l tanks at a density of 30 fish per tank. White fish meal, brown fish meal, meat meal and fermented soybean meal had highest apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of dry matter, crude protein and gross energy among ingredients tested, ranged from 50.4% to 60.9% for dry matter, from 64.6% to 88.4% for crude protein and from 57.9% to 79.0% for gross energy. The apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter ranged from 61.0% to 66.9% for animal products and 50.4% to 60.7% for plant products. For crude protein, apparent digestibility coefficients of protein exceeding 80% were observed for white fish meal, brown fish meal, meat meal and fermented soybean meal, and the apparent digestibility coefficients of protein in rapeseed meal were the lowest among all the treatments. Lipids from both animal and plant feedstuffs were poorly digested by loach, ranging from 64.0% to 77.6%. The apparent digestibility coefficients of energy were similar to those of dry matter and protein, and the highest and lowest ADCs of energy were found in WFM and RM, respectively. The loach used dietary phosphorus from the animal feedstuffs more efficiently than from plant feedstuffs (soybean meal and rapeseed meal), with ADC‐values ranging from 42.3% to 53.1% and from 25.1% to 32.7%, respectively. For the animal products, the availabilities of amino acids in white fish meal and brown fish meal were higher than that in meat meal, expect for Met, Asp, Pro, Gly, and Cys. Among all the plant products, the availabilities of amino acids in fermented soybean meal were higher than in soybean meal and rapeseed meal, and thus had a greater potential to be used as a dietary replacement of fish meal in loach diets.     

Effects of feeding soybean meal with varying trypsin inhibitor activities on growth of fingerling channel catfish

Uncooked hexane extracted soybean meal was heated for various lengths of time to produce meals with varying trypsin inhibitor activities. Fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were fed 25 and 35% crude protein practical type test diets containing soybean meal with graded levels of trypsin inhibitor activity for 10 weeks. Growth rates and protein efficiency ratio (PER) values were reduced in fish fed raw and inadequately heated soybean meal at both protein levels. These effects were more severe at the lower dietary protein level. Growth rates and PER values improved in each study as the trypsin inhibitor activity of the soybean meal decreased to tolerable levels. Fish fed the 35% crude protein diets appeared to tolerate soybean meal with much higher trypsin inhibitor activity than fish fed the 25% crude protein diets. Even though growth rates and PER values were not significantly different over a rather wide range of dietary trypsin inhibitor activities, the best growth rates were not observed at either protein level until about 83% of the trypsin inhibitor activity in the soybean meal had been destroyed.     

The nutritional properties of co-dried fish silage in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) dry diets

Feed ingredients containing fish silage and liquefied fish made from ground, whole Pacific whiting and co-dried in a vacuum dryer with mixtures of soybean meal and feather meal to facilitate drying were prepared. An additional batch of fish silage was co-dried with the other dry ingredients in the diet formulation that was used, Abernathy diet S8-1. Fish meal, made by vacuum drying Pacific whiting, was used in the control diet. Co-dried fish meal was made by co-drying Pacific whiting with a soybean meal-feather meal mixture. Fish meal was entirely replaced by the co-dried products in the experimental diets, which were fed to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) for 32 weeks. The best growth and food conversion values were obtained by feeding the fish meal control diet or the diet in which the fish meal was replaced with co-dried liquefied fish. No significant differences in final weights were found between trout fed diets containing co-dried fish meal or co-dried fish silage (fish products were 25% of the diet), but these fish were significantly smaller than fish fed the fish meal control or the co-dried liquefied fish diets. Reducing the fish silage to 12.5% or increasing it to 50% further reduced weight gains in the trout. Food conversion values, protein efficiency ratios, and net protein utilization values generally followed the same trends between diets as did the final weight values. Apparent digestibility coefficients for the co-dried products were lower than for the fish meal, possibly because they contained soybean meal-feather meal mixtures. Organoleptic properties of the fish were not affected by diet.     

Utilisation of diets supplemented with microbial phytase by seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles

A trial was carried out to compare the growth performance, body composition and apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of diets by seabass, with an initial weight of 13.5 g, fed diets including fish meal (68.6 % of the dietary protein) or soybean meal (65.6 % of the dietary protein) as the main protein sources. Microbial phytase was added to the soybean meal based diet (1 000 and 2 000 IU·kg⁻¹) and to the fish meal based diet (2 000 IU·kg⁻¹) in order to study its effect on phosphorus utilisation. Results of this trial showed that growth rate, feed conversion and nitrogen retention were significantly better in fish fed the fish meal based diet. Energy retention was similar in both groups. ADC of protein were similar among groups. ADC of phosphorus was significantly higher in the fish meal based diet (63 %) than in the soybean meal based diet (25 %). Supplementation of the fish meal based diet with microbial phytase did not improve the ADC of phosphorus, while in the soybean meal based diet the inclusion of 1 000 and 2 000 IU·kg⁻¹ of microbial phytase significantly increased the ADC of phosphorus to 71.5 % and 79.8 %, respectively. It is concluded that for practical purposes supplementation of diets with microbial phytase may prove valuable in diets including high levels of plant feedstuffs.     

Amino Acid Availability of Four Practical Feed Ingredients Fed to Striped Bass Morone saxatilis

Four dietary protein sources were bio-assayed for amino acid availability, as estimated by true digestibility, when fed to striped bass Morone saxatilis . Diets were formulated to contain either herring fish meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal or peanut meal as the sole source of dietary protein. A fifth diet, containing no protein, was fed to estimate the level of endogenous amino acids for calculation of true digestibility. The five dietary treatments were randomly assigned to ten tanks of striped bass having an average weight of 150 g per fish. All fish received the assigned diet fed at a rate 1.5% of the biomass per day for a period of 10 d. Fecal samples were collected from anesthetized fish by gentle, manual stripping of the lower digestive tract. Diets and feces were analyzed for dry matter, chromium, nitrogen and amino acid concentrations. There were no statistical differences (P > 0.05) among the protein sources for apparent dry matter digestibility or availability of arginine, threonine, valine and nonessential amino acids with the exception of cysteine. Corn gluten meal had a significantly lower availability coefficient for lysine, and peanut meal had significantly lower availability coefficients for histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and lysine when compared to herring fish meal and soybean meal. Statistically there were no differences between soybean meal and herring fish meal for any nutrient tested. These data suggest that in terms of amino acid availability and overall protein quality, soybean meal could be used to spare herring fish meal in striped bass diets, with corn gluten meal being equally as useful when supplemented with lysine or complemented with other proteins.     

豆粕替代鱼粉对牛蛙生长性能、消化酶活性和肠道健康的影响

为探讨豆粕替代鱼粉对牛蛙(Rana catesbeiana)生长性能、表观消化率、消化酶活性和肠道健康的影响,以基础饲料为对照,豆粕替代基础饲料中50%和100%的鱼粉形成3种等氮等能的试验饲料,分别记为FM、B1和B2组,饲喂初始体重为(40±0.3)g的牛蛙,进行为期30 d的摄食生长试验,测定增重率、特定生长率、饲料效率、营养物质消化率、蛋白酶、淀粉酶、脂肪酶等指标。结果显示:各组间牛蛙成活率无显著差异;豆粕替代鱼粉显著降低牛蛙的增重率、饲料效率和蛋白质效率,显著降低其对饲料干物质、蛋白质和总能的表观消化率。肠道消化酶分析结果显示,豆粕100%替代鱼粉显著降低了牛蛙空肠和回肠蛋白酶活性,B1和B2组牛蛙回肠脂肪酶活性显著低于FM组,淀粉酶活性显著高于FM组。对牛蛙肠道组织形态观察发现,豆粕替代鱼粉后肠道绒毛高度、肌层厚度和柱状上皮高度显著降低。豆粕替代鱼粉后肠道促炎因子IL-1β、IL-17、IL-8和TNF-αmRNA的表达量显著升高。结果表明,牛蛙饲料中大量使用豆粕会对其生长和饲料利用产生负面的影响,并诱导肠道炎症发生。     

Apparent Digestibility Coefficients of Various Feed Ingredients for Grouper Epinephelus coioides

Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of dry matter, crude protein, lipid, gross energy, amino acids, and fatty acids in white fish meal, brown fish meal, soybean meal, peanut meal, and yeast were determined for grouper Epinephelus coioides. Apparent digestibility was determined using a reference diet with 0.5% chromic oxide indicator and test diets that contained 70% reference diet and 30% of the feed ingredient being evaluated. The fish, averaging 12.0 g, were held in 250-L tanks at a density of 30 fish per tank. Feces were collected from three replicate groups-of fish. Apparent dry matter digestibility of ingredients was 78.85 ± 2.43, 79.11 ± 0.61, 69.85 ± 3.60, 73.67 ± 2.30 and 57.70 ± 4.69% for white fish meal, brown fish meal, soybean meal, peanut meal, and yeast, respectively. Apparent gross energy digestibility of ingredients was 93.27 ± 2.90, 89.48 ± 1.78, 70.52 ± 4.01, 73.13 ± 2.41 and 51.67 ± 2.01% for white fish meal, brown fish meal, soybean meal, peanut meal, and yeast, respectively. Apparent protein digestibility of ingredients was 89.82 ± 1.24, 87.34 ± 1.25, 83.97 ± 1.92, 80.79 ± 1.95, and 61.14 ± 0.54% for white fish meal, brown fish meal, soybean meal, peanut meal, and yeast, respectively. White fish meal and brown fish meal showed higher protein digestibility among ingredients tested (P ± 0.01). Lipid digestibility of ingredients was high (90.66-94.48%) and not significantly different except for yeast. Amino acid availability values for test ingredients were similar to values of protein digestibility. Amino acid availability values of white fish meal and brown fish meal were higher than other ingredients. Fatty acid availability values for test ingredients were similar to values of lipid digestibility. In general, the digestibility of most fatty acids was over 80% in all ingredients, except for 14:0 in yeast and 18:0 in peanut meal, PUFA + HUFA > MUFA > SFA. Longer-chain saturated fatty acids were less digestibility, except for 14:0, with digestibilities diminishing as fatty acid chain length increased. Apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, lipid, gross energy, amino acids, and fatty acids in yeast was the lowest among the ingredients.     

Apparent Digestibility of Different Ingredients in Diets for Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana Tadpoles

The objective of this study was to determine apparent digestibility of protein and energy of ingredients commonly present in rations fed to bullfrog tadpoles Rana catesbeiana such as corn, soybean meal, wheat meal, rice bran, poultry by-product meal, blood meal, fish meal, corn starch and soybean oil.
A completely randomized design was used to test ten experimental diets with four replicates. About 30% of the reference diet was replaced by the test ingredients, except for soybean oil that was used at 10% ratio and 0.5% of chromium oxide as inert marker. The values of apparent digestibility coefficient of crude protein (ADC_CP) and gross energy (ADC_GE) of the protein ingredients were, respectively: fish meal, 81 and 95%; poultry byproduct meal, 82 and 87%; blood meal, 64 and 53%; and soybean meal, 93 and 90%. While for the energetic ingredients, ADC_CP and ADC_GE, were, respectively: wheat meal, 100 and 72%; rice bran, 57 and 24%; and corn, 84 and 92%. Soybean oil and cornstarch ADC_GE values were 70 and 96%, respectively; cornstarch digestibility is highly dependent on feed processing technique.
The results showed that the ingredients of plant origin, except for rice bran, had good digestibility, thus indicating that tadpoles can effectively use plant protein. In this trial, the least digestible ingredients were blood meal and rice bran, thus indicating that the use of such ingredients in bullfrog tadpole diets should be limited.     

Comparison of yttrium and chromic oxides as inert dietary markers for the estimation of apparent digestibility coefficients in mirror carp Cyprinus carpio fed on diets containing soybean-, maize- and fish-derived proteins

The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein, lipid and energy components within three selected plant protein by‐products, i.e. solvent‐extract soybean meal, full‐fat soybean meal and maize gluten meal were evaluated for mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). In a series of feeding and digestibility experiments, the ingredients were incorporated at the rate of 50% within a basal diet formulation, at the expense of a high quality fish‐meal (LT94) source using both yttrium oxide, Y₂O₃ and chromic oxide, Cr₂O₃ as inert markers in test diets. The ADC of nutrients obtained from Cr₂O₃ closely matched those obtained from Y₂O₃. The ADC of protein were generally high, with >91% for both the fish‐meal reference diet and solvent‐extract soybean meal, 86% for full‐fat soybean meal and 79% for maize gluten meal. The ADC by yttrium oxide gave values of 75–90% for protein. Similarly close values were obtained for both markers with respect to lipid ADC (77–91% with chromic oxide and 74–89% with yttrium oxide). It was concluded that the use of Y₂O₃ as an inert marker in digestibility studies with carp ought to be suitable for carp following further validation. This should be considered in view of predicting the digestibility of feeds for this fish species before inclusion in practical diets.