Effects of composite mixture of protein sources in replacing fish meal on nutritional value and flavor quality of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of fish meal partially or totally replaced with poultry by-product meal (PBM), antarctic krill meal (AKM), corn gluten meal (CGM), cottonseed meal (CM) and rice protein concentrate meal (RPM) on amino acids, fatty acids, nucleotides and volatile compounds of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Results showed that shrimps fed with partial replacement of fish meal (50 %) with AKM and PBM (1:1) significantly increased the content of inosine monophosphate (IMP), the proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), n-9 monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and significantly decreased the content of hypoxanthine (Hx), benzaldehyde, and the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Dietary fish meal totally replaced by the whole-plant protein diet resulted in a lower value of essential amino acids to total amino acids (EAA / TAA), n-3 / n-6 PUFAs, and a lower proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs). Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that shrimps fed diet with fish meal partially replaced by AKM and PBM (1:1) had the most similar volatile com-pounds profile to the fish meal-based diet. These results indicated that the composite mixture of PBM and AKM (1:1) is an excellent substitution for fish meal in shrimp diets.

Automated summary

In this study, the effects of replacing fish meal with various alternative ingredients on the amino acids, fatty acids, nucleotides, and volatile compounds of Pacific white shrimp were investigated. The results showed that partially replacing fish meal with antarctic krill meal and poultry by-product meal significantly improved the nutritional composition of shrimp, while completely replacing fish meal with a plant-based diet resulted in a decrease in essential amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids. The composite mixture of poultry by-product meal and antarctic krill meal (1:1) was found to be a suitable substitute for fish meal in shrimp diets.