Lambari pituitary extract: an innovative alternative for artificial reproduction of native fish

• Grant number: 23/10522-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Agreement: SEBRAE-SP
• Principal Investigator: Laíza Maria de Jesus Silva
• Grantee: Laíza Maria de Jesus Silva
• Company: 52.714.182 Laiza Maria de Jesus Silva
• CNAE: Pesca em água doce ; Aqüicultura em água doce
• Pesquisadores principais: Mariana Roza de Abreu ; Sergio Ricardo Batlouni
• Associated researchers: Cristiane Fernanda Benevente ; Rafael Tomoda Sato
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/04115-1 - Lambari pituitary extract: an innovative alternative for artificial reproduction of native fish, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Native Brazilian species account for more than 30% of national aquaculture production. Improving techniques for their production not only contributes to the diversification of national aquaculture, but also promotes a more sustainable approach as these species are indigenous. It also supports restocking programmes that promote fishing activities and contribute to food security. In order to induce spawning in captive migratory native species, hormonal induction is required and most farms worldwide use carp pituitary extract, an expensive imported product derived from an exotic species. The use of this hormone therefore results in high costs for small-scale producers and increases the overall cost of fingerling production. Therefore, our technology offers an alternative to the use of the expensive hormone extract by using pituitary extract from lambari, a species that is gaining importance in the aquaculture market with over 23,000 producing farms. In addition, the use of lambari pituitary extract offers several advantages. Firstly, it uses a native species, adding value to national aquaculture. Second, it significantly reduces the time required to produce pituitary extract, which is about four months compared to carp, an exotic species that takes about three years to mature. Thirdly, it reduces the time required for animal storage and investment in infrastructure, thus contributing to sustainability by reducing the use of natural resources such as water and feed inputs, leading to lower effluent volumes and maintenance costs. In addition, with technical training in pituitary extraction, fish farms could become self-sufficient, providing an additional source of income for small-scale producers. In this way, we have developed the first protocol for obtaining pituitary extract from an indigenous species, addressing a long-standing problem associated with the use of expensive hormone extracts for aquaculture. (AU)