BALANCING THE LOW PROTEIN DIETS WITH MULTIPLE AMINOACIDS SUPPLEMENTATION AT DIFFERENT LEVELS WITH AND WITHOUT USING OF NEAAs IN CHANNEL CATFISH Ictalurus punctatus DIETS

¹ Shimaa M. Salem*, 2 D. Allen Davis, 2 Lay Nguyen, ¹ Tarek I. Mohamed, and ¹ Ola A. Orma
 
¹ Department of Nutrition & Nutritional Deficiency Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine  Mansoura University, 35516 Egypt
 2 School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
davisda@auburn.edu
 

The rapid expansion of the world aquaculture production leads to increase the demand for fish meal as it considered the ideal protein source for fish .On the other hand, the problem of the high prices of protein sources Therefore, the optimal dietary requirements of amino acids and alternative protein or amino acids sources have had a big interest in nutrition researches.  Either using of alternatives protein sources or reducing the dietary protein in fish feed formulation can result in an imbalanced AA profile of feed that can affect growth performance of cultured species. Also, deficiency in some amino acid may have occurred, which has known as limiting amino acids.

This research was performed to reduce the dietary intact protein content in channel catfish (ictalurus punctatus) diet and balancing the amino acids profile by using multiple crystalline EAAs/IAAs supplementation at different levels 100, 120 & 140% compared to channel catfish EAAs requirement which stated in NRC 2011.Also, to evaluate the effectiveness of crystalline amino acids comparing to intact protein amino acids (amino acids pound protein).Besides that, assessment the contribution of NEAAs/DAAs supplementation to the low protein diet.  9 isolipid (8%) experimental diets were formulated with different crude protein levels)  30%IP control, 24IP+EAAs up to control diet+NEAAs, 24IP+EAAs 100% NRC, 24IP+EAAs 100% NRC+NEAAs, 24IP+EAAs 120% NRC, 24IP+EAAs 120% NRC+NEAAs, 24IP+EAAs 140% NRC, 27IP+EAAs 120%,30IP+EAAs 120% NRC ).

Experimental fish (average initial weight 23.68 g)  were randomly distributed into 9 groups, 3 replicate for each 15 fish/ tank in recirculating system, fed experimental diets two times/day % of body weight and weighing bi-weekly for measuring (Mean weight (g), weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Dissolved oxygen, temperature and salinity measure 2times/day while, water samples collect 2 times/week for Total ammonia nitrogen and Nitrite analysis. Also, PH measured by PH meter two times/ week.

The growth results will be presented in conference.