Feed Supplementation with the GHRP-6 Peptide, a Ghrelin Analog, Improves Feed Intake, Growth Performance and Aerobic Metabolism in the Gilthead Sea Bream Sparus aurata

The aquaculture sector has experienced rapid and important growth with the subsequent increase of feeding and nutritional issues for sustaining this activity, mainly related to the use of high quality, safe and environmentally friendly feed ingredients. The use of additives in aquafeeds has proven to be a suitable option to improve different productive indicators in farmed fish. In the present study, the effect of adding the GHRP-6 peptide, a ghrelin analog, to a commercial diet of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) was studied at two proportions (100 or 500 mu g/kg of feed). Both experimental diets show an increase in growth performance, as well as in feed efficiency after 97 days of experiment. The lower inclusion of GHRP-6 (100 mu g/kg) results in a better aerobic metabolism, while the higher inclusion significantly increased plasma GH levels in agreement with the GH secretagogue effects of ghrelin. Similar growth outcome and differences between GHRP-6 levels in aerobic metabolism and GH stimulation suggest that improvements in culture performance by this peptide may occur through different mechanisms. Taken together, this compound can be considered as a viable dietary supplement for increasing production efficiency of sea bream aquaculture, although a better understanding of its dose-specific effects is still required.

Automated summary

The use of additives in aquafeeds has been shown to improve productive indicators in farmed fish. Adding GHRP-6 peptide to the diet of gilthead sea bream resulted in increased growth performance and feed efficiency, with differences observed at different inclusion levels. Further research is needed to better understand the dose-specific effects of this peptide.