ARS | Publication request: The Limitations and Potential for Plant Proteins in Aquafeeds.

Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 10, 2007
Publication Date: May 13, 2007
Repository URL: http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_web/digi/submission.html
Citation: Gaylord, T.G. 2007. The Limitations and Potential for Plant Proteins in Aquafeeds.. Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society.

Technical Abstract: Current feed formulations for carnivorous fish species have been to reduce the concentrations of fish meal protein replace them with plant proteins. The choice of plant proteins that can effectively substitute for fish meal protein is currently limited, and fish performance is often compromised when all fish meal protein is replaced. The factors responsible for the reductions in both growth performance and feed efficiencies have not been established to date. Amino acid balance is well known to affect fish performance and data has been forthcoming from many laboratories to address this concern when substituting fish meals. Another factor that may be limiting fish performance has been termed “unidentified growth factors” that may be present in fishmeal but not in plant protein sources. One amino acid that has been recently demonstrated to be conditionally indispensable when a large portion of fish meal protein is replaced in the diets is taurine. Research with both rainbow trout and cobia has demonstrated that dietary taurine supplementation benefits growth performance and methionine, a precursor in taurine biosynthesis, can not be supplemented to meet the taurine needs of trout. The potential for taurine supplementation to improve plant protein utilization will be addressed as well as potential for other unidentified growth factors potentially present from fish meals.