Evaluation of a Commercial High-Protein Distiller's Dried Grain with Solubles (HP-DDGS) Product in the Diet of Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

A comparative feeding trial and digestibility determination were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of a commercial, high-protein distiller's dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) ingredient in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). For the feeding trial, six diets were formulated to contain 360 g total dietary protein kg(-1) and were prepared with incremental levels of protein from the HP-DDGS (0, 75, 150, 225, 300, and 375 g of dietary protein kg(-1)) replacing protein from fishmeal and soybean meal. Juvenile tilapia (10.4 g & PLUSMN;0.37; average initial weight & PLUSMN;SD) were evenly distributed in 24, 38-L aquaria operated as a recirculating system and fed twice daily to apparent satiation throughout the 8-week trial. Nile tilapia exhibited no significant (P > 0.05) differences in weight gain, feed efficiency, condition indices, whole-body proximate composition, or innate immunological responses when fed any DDGS-supplemented diets compared to the control diet. Percent apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of the DDGS product for organic matter, crude protein, and gross energy were 74.8%, 83%, and 82.8%, respectively. Availability values for all amino acids were 89% or greater. Thus, this high-protein DDGS was established as a readily digestible protein feedstuff suitable for replacing soybean meal and fishmeal at up to 375 g of total dietary protein kg(-1) in a practical diet for Nile tilapia.

Automated summary

A comparative feeding trial and digestibility determination were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of a high-protein distiller's dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) as a feed ingredient for Nile tilapia. The results showed that this high-protein DDGS can be used as a protein source to replace soybean meal and fishmeal in the diet for Nile tilapia.