Aquafat-O: A Novel Feed Additive for Hybrid Red Tilapia

The feed cost is main issue in commercial aquaculture because it makes up to sixty percent of total production cost. Therefore, many researchers examined the use of substitute protein and lipid sources, especially the vegetable sources to replace fish meal and fish oil (FO), in order to reduce the feed cost¹.

Lipid is considered one of the most important components in tilapia diets that provide energy and essential fatty acids. Fish also need lipids for essential functions including growth, development, reproduction and maintenance of healthy tissues and flesh quality¹.

Fish and other mammals cannot synthesize essential fatty acids i.e. polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like linolenic acid (LA), linoleic acid (LNA) and oleic acid (OA)². Freshwater fish need LA and/or LNA as the essential fatty acids for normal growth and reproduction³.

The first hybrid red tilapia was produced in Taiwan in the late 1960s. The red tilapia has several advantages such as the fast growth rate, good conversion, ability to grow in saline and salt waters and low susceptibility to diseases, which have promoted its spread⁴.

Arbitrarily, some fish farmers feed tilapia fish on some commercial feed additives like Aquafat-O® as a growth and immune enhancer agent or as a precautionary measure against the environmental stressors. Therefore researchers conducted a study to determine the appropriate level of Aquafat-O® (a novel feed additive) for hybrid red tilapia⁵.

It was found that growth performance and feed utilization parameters, haematological parameters and total antioxidant capacity were significantly improved with increasing Aquafat-O® levels. Furthermore, the dietary addition of 6% Aquafat-O® led to the reduction in lipid content of the whole fish body, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and hepatic lipid peroxidase.

According to the physiological findings obtained, advanced studies are needed not only to determine the optimal level of dietary Aquafat-O® against different types of stress such as the water cold stress, mycotoxins, high stocking density, water pollutants on fish species, but also for more understanding the relation between dietary lipid levels, types or sources and the antioxidant defense system of fish in different life stages.

References:

Ferreira, M.W., D.V. da Costa, C.A.G. Leal and H.C.P. Figueiredo, 2015. Dietary oil sources on the innate immunity and resistance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, to Streptococcus agalactiae challenge. J. World Aquacult. Soc., 46: 252-262.

Calder, P.C. and R.F. Grimble, 2002. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation and immunity. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr., 56: S14-S19.

Li, E., C. Lim, P.H. Klesius and T.L. Welker, 2013. Growth, body fatty acid composition, immune response and resistance to Streptococcus iniae of hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus × Oreochromis aureus, fed diets containing various levels of linoleic and linolenic acids. J. World Aquac. Soc., 44: 42-55.

Maria, R.R., R. Romana and V.E. Ruel, 1999. Growth of five Asia red tilapia strains in saline environments. Aquaculture, 173: 161-170.

Mohamd Moaaz Refaey, Ahmed Ismail Mehrim and Magda Mahmoud El-Komy, 2018. Aquafat-O® as a Growth and Physiological Enhancer Agent for Hybrid Red Tilapia, ♂Oreochromis niloticus (L.)×♀Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters). Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 13: 14-24.