Low-protein supplement increases protein retention and reduces the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus wasted by rainbow trout fed on low-fat herring

The growth, food utilization and amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus lost into the water by rainbow trout (initial size 485 g) fed on low-fat Baltic herring and supplemented with a low-protein dry diet fed separately were studied in an 18-week net cage trial. Similarly to balancing protein and nonprotein energy in full diets, giving nonprotein energy in different feeds several hours apart improved the protein retention of low-fat herring to a level comparable to a commercially available dry diet control. The amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus lost into the water were also reduced to the same extent. The losses from the plain herring-feeding were twice as high. The improved protein retention and reduced nutrient losses were accompanied by 15–25% reductions in growth of the fish compared with the control dry diet. The growth of the fish fed on plain herring was 14% lower than the growth on the dry diet control.     

Supplemental citric acid and particle size of fish bone-meal influence the availability of minerals in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) were fed six low-phosphorus (P) diets supplemented with two different sizes of ground fish bone-meals (fine, 68 μm or less; coarse, 250–425 μm) and a coarse bone-meal diet containing four levels of citric acid (0, 4, 8 or 16 g kg⁻¹ diet) to investigate the effects of pH and bone particle size on P bioavailability. The basal diet provided 3.4 g P   kg⁻¹ and bone-meal increased P contents to 5.4–6.0 g P   kg⁻¹. Coarse bone-meal diets supplemented with 0, 4, 8 or 16 g kg⁻¹ of citric acid had pH values of 6.0, 5.7, 5.4 and 5.0, respectively. Weight gain and whole-body water, protein and lipid contents were not influenced by bone-meal supplementation. Supplementing the basal diet with both coarse and fine bone-meal significantly increased whole-body ash content. Fish fed no bone-meal were hypophosphataemic compared with fish fed with either fine or coarse bone-meals. Phosphorus in fine bone-meal had higher availability than P in coarse bone-meal. Bone-meal supplementation significantly decreased whole-body manganese content from 8.9 μg g⁻¹ in fish fed no bone-meal to 2.3 and 4.5 μg g⁻¹ in fish fed with fine and coarse bone-meals, respectively. The concentration of magnesium increased but zinc concentration was not affected by bone-meal supplements. Citric acid increased whole-body ash content but the influence of citric acid on the body P content was not significant ( P  = 0.07). Dietary acidification by citric acid significantly increased whole-body iron in a linear fashion. The bioavailability of dietary P can be improved by fine grinding the bone in fish meals.     

Gene expression responses to restricted feeding and extracted soybean meal in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

We assessed effects of feed restriction and inclusion of 200 g kg^?1 extracted soybean meal in the diet on gene expression in Atlantic salmon using a cDNA microarray (SFA2.0) and real‐time qPCR. The trial lasted for 54 days. Restricted feeding and soybean inclusion reduced the thermal growth coefficient by respectively 51% and 22% compared with fish fed with the fishmeal‐based control diet to satiation. Soybean decreased distal intestinal expression of lysosomal (cathepsins C, D, L, Y and Z) and extracellular proteases while genes involved in responses to cellular stress were up‐regulated. Expression changes of immune genes suggested both pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory regulation. The hepatic responses to soybean and restricted feeding were highly similar, which could be because of negative effects of soybean meal on digestion and nutrient absorption. We observed up‐regulation of ribosomal proteins and down‐regulation of genes involved in lipid and steroid metabolism. Of note, growth reduction in both study groups was associated with coordinated down‐regulation of genes involved in oxidative and cellular stress responses, metabolism of xenobiotics and protein degradation. High expression of stress‐related genes in salmon fed with the control diet suggests that maximum growth rates can be associated with health problems.