Hydrolyzed poultry protein in the diet of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)

• Grant number: 24/10083-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Wagner Silva Hilsdorf
• Grantee: Micheli Zaminhan Hassemer
• Supervisor: Luisa Maria Pinheiro Valente
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Campus da Sede Mogi das Cruzes. Mogi das Cruzes , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/00424-1 - Alternative sources of fatty acids in lipid metabolism and performance of cobia juveniles, Rachycentron canadum, BP.PD

Abstract

Aquaculture is constantly evolving and assuming an increasingly important role in global food production. The sustainable growth of this sector relies on the development of highly nutritious and functional raw materials, with protein hydrolysates emerging as a viable alternative. Therefore, the objective of this project is to evaluate the inclusion of increasing levels of poultry agro-industry protein hydrolysate in the diet of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), focusing on productive performance and welfare. A practical diet formulation will include 15% fish meal, along with two additional diets containing incrementally higher levels of poultry protein hydrolysate. Each diet will be randomly assigned to fish replicates, which will be fed to apparent satiety three times daily (at 9:00, 12:30, and 16:30) over a period of 12 weeks, using automated feeders. At the end of the experiment, all fish will be weighed and measured, followed by a digestibility trial using the same setup, with tanks equipped with settling columns connected to tank outlets for feces collection. Productive performance will be assessed, along with analyses of proximate composition, plasma metabolites, liver oxidative stress, and nutritional composition of muscle tissue.