Effect of Replacing Fishmeal with Plukenetia volubilis Cake on Growth, Digestive Enzymes, and Body Composition in Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

A feeding trial was carried out on a shrimp farm located in the Santa Rosa province of El Oro, Ecuador, with four isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets, designed with increasing levels of substitution of fish meal by P. voluvilis, (D-0), 15% (D-15), 25% (D-25), and 50% (D-50). The obtained results indicated that the 50% replacement with P. volubilis in practical diets had no noticeable negative effects on the growth performance of L. vanameii juveniles. The total weight of shrimps fed with 25% and 50% diets (16.04 g and 16.72 g, respectively) and the abdomen weight (10.32 g) of shrimps fed with the D-50 diet were high, with significant differences regarding those fed with the D-0 diet. No adverse effects on muscle composition were found. Significant differences were observed only in groups D-25 (for chymotrypsin) and D-50 (chymotrypsin and alkaline protease). Trypsin and amylase activity was not affected by the inclusion of P. volubilis. The results of this experiment indicated that P. volubilis cake is a possible alternative to fish meal in shrimp feeding; however, it should be studied in more depth to establish the maximum replacement percentage and to identify the adequate treatments to eliminate antinutritional factors.

Automated summary

The study found that substituting fish meal with P. volubilis in shrimp feed had no negative effects on the growth performance of the shrimp, and even increased the shrimp's weight. Muscle composition was not affected, but there were some differences in chymotrypsin and alkaline protease. Further research is needed to determine the maximum replacement percentage and identify appropriate treatments to eliminate antinutritional factors.