EFFECT OF THE INCLUSION OF AMAZONIAN FRUIT PULP Mauritia flexuosa AS A FUNCTIONAL FOOD IN THE POSTLARVAE DIET OF THE PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP Litopenaeus vannamei

José María Monserrat*, Cleber dos Santos Simião, Grecica Mariana Colombo, Marcos Josué Schmitz, Robson Matheus Marreiro Gomes, Patrícia Baptista Ramos, Marcelo Borges Tesser, Wilson Wasiliesky Junior
Estação Marinha de Aquacultura, Instituto de Oceanografia (IO) and Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB)
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brasil
* monserrat_jm@furg.br

This study investigated the effects of the inclusion of Amazonian Mauritia flexuosa fruit pulp in diets on the growth performance, economic benefit, total carotenoids content, total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation in of shrimps postlarvae (PL) Litopenaeus vannamei (average weight 5 mg). Five diets (37% protein, 10% lipid , Table 1), containing 0 (Control group ), 1.25; 2.50; 5.00; 10.00 % (W/W) M. flexuosa fruit pulp in diet were produced and offered to shrimps PL (n = 1 PL per liter, treatments in triplicate) for 52 days. The physicochemical parameters of water during the experiment were: 30 ± 2.75 ppt of salinity, 8.04 ± 0.08 of pH, 26.64 ± 0.11 ^o C of temperature, and 6.63 ± 0.03 mg/L of dissolved oxygen.

The results indicated there was no significant difference (p>0.05) for growth performance and carcass composition (Table 2) . However, total carotenoid content and total antioxidant capacity were significantly increased (p<0.05) in shrimp PL fed with the inclusion of 5% M. flexuosa in the diet (Table 3).

Similarly, lipid peroxidation levels were lower in shrimps fed with the inclusion of 5% M. flexuosa in the diet (Table 3) . Feeding cost per kg in terms of weight gain and protein production decreased with the highest levels of inclusion of M. flexuosa fruit pulp in the diet, reaching 10.50 and 10.63 % cost reduction, respectively, with 50 mg. kg^-1 (5 % inclusion) of M. flexuosa.

Thus, the inclusion of 5%, of M. flexuosa in the diet of L. vannamei shrimps PL, promoted positive effects on antioxidant capacity, higher retention of bioactive molecules as carotenoids and reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation. The decrease in protein production cost with the inclusion of 5% of the M. flexuosa indicates advantages for the use of fruit pulp of this plant in sustainable aquaculture.

Key words: functional food; aquaculture; antioxidant compounds; shrimp diets.

Acknowledgements: CAPES; CNPq; PPGAqui - FURG; LANOA - FURG; BIFOA - FURG.