Influence of different LC-PUFAs levels on the performance and metabolism of tilapia juveniles kept at low temperatures

• Grant number: 24/22234-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Cavalheiro Araújo
• Grantee: Beatriz Cavalheri Peres
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Campus da Sede Mogi das Cruzes. Mogi das Cruzes , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/10972-9 - Metabolic and molecular responses of Oreochromis niloticus juveniles influenced by the interaction between temperature and diet composition, AP.JP

Abstract

Oreochromis niloticus (tilapia) is the most widely produced fish species in Brazil. However, the main national production centers are located in the southern and southeastern regions of the country, where autumn/winter temperatures are outside the optimal range for this species. Previous studies have observed improved performance in fish kept at low temperatures and fed diets containing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and arachidonic acid (ARA). Similarly, recent studies have shown better performance in tilapia maintained at suboptimal temperatures and fed diets mainly containing DHA. However, the mechanisms responsible for this improvement are still unclear. Therefore, this project aims to investigate the influence of diets containing different levels of LC-PUFAs (mainly ARA and DHA) on the performance and metabolism of tilapia kept at suboptimal temperatures (autumn/winter). For this purpose, the study will evaluate productive performance (feed intake, growth, survival, and biological indices), morphophysiology of liver and intestinal tissue, proximate composition, and fatty acid profiles of major lipolytic and lipogenic tissues (carcass, muscle, intestine, liver, and brain), as well as gene expression related to specific energy metabolism pathways. The results obtained will be essential for a better understanding of the relationship between low temperature and diet composition in the performance and metabolism of the target species.