Replacing fishmeal with a single cell protein feedstuff in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus diets

There is a growing concern about the use of fisheries-derived proteins in aquaculture. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of either partially or totally replacing fishmeal (up to 15% of the diet) by the inactivated dry yeast product DY-Pro in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus diets. The DY-Pro replaced 0% (DY-PRO0), 2% (DY-PRO2), 5% (DY-PRO5), 25% (DY-PRO25), 50% (DY-PRO50), 75% (DY-PRO75) or 100% (DY-PRO100) of the protein provided by fishmeal in seven isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental diets, which were fed to the experimental fish (initial average body weight 11.33 ± 1.65 g) for 12 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the graded replacement of 2–100% of fishmeal protein by the DY-Pro did not significantly (P < 0.05) affect fish weight gain or gut length and weight, but linearly (P < 0.05) improved feed and nutrient utilization. Moreover, the DY-Pro did not have any negative impacts on the gastrointestinal tract as shown by histopathology. There were no pathogens or signs of significant metabolic or toxicant-related disease in the epithelium. Results showed that tilapia given diets containing DY-Pro consumed less feed to achieve the same weight gain as tilapia given fishmeal-based diets. Overall, the DY-Pro is a good feed ingredient, which could totally replace fishmeal in Nile tilapia diets and possibly lead to reduced feed costs.

Citation

Rodrigue Yossa, Alexander M. Greiling, Rose Komugisha Basiita, Masautso E. Sakala, Wes A. Baumgartner, Adam Taylor, Delbert M. Gatlin, Replacing fishmeal with a single cell protein feedstuff in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus diets, Animal Feed Science and Technology, Volume 281, 2021, 115089, ISSN 0377-8401, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2021.115089.