Journal Article

Physiological responses of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) juveniles fed on full-fat insect-based diet in an aquaponic system

Zarantoniello, Matteo, Girolametti, Federico, Cardinaletti, Gloriana, Nozzi, Valentina, Gioacchini, Giorgia, Giorgini, Elisabetta, Isidoro, Nunzio, Milanović, Vesna, Olivotto, Ike, Riolo, Paola, Truzzi, Cristina, Freddi, Lorenzo, Notarstefano, Valentina, Randazzo, Basilio, Ratti, Stefano, Osimani, Andrea, Tulli, Francesca

2021

Overview

Over the last years, the potential use of Black Soldier Fly meal (BSF) as a new and sustainable aquafeed ingredient has been largely explored in several fish species. However, only fragmentary information is available about the use of BSF meal-based diets in sturgeon nutrition. In consideration of a circular economy concept and a more sustainable aquaculture development, the present research represents the first comprehensive multidisciplinary study on the physiological effects of a BSF diet during sturgeon culture in an aquaponic system. Siberian sturgeon ( Acipenser baerii ) juveniles were fed over a 60-days feeding trial on a control diet (Hi0) and a diet containing 50% of full-fat BSF meal respect to fish meal (Hi50). Physiological responses of fish were investigated using several analytical approaches, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, histology, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), microbiome sequencing and Real-time PCR. While aquaponic systems performed optimally during the trial, Hi50 group fish showed lower diet acceptance that resulted in growth and survival reduction, a decrease in hepatic lipids and glycogen content (FTIR), a higher hepatic hsp70.1 gene expression and a worsening in gut histological morphometric parameters. The low feed acceptance showed by Hi50 group sturgeon highlighted the necessity to improve the palatability of BSF-based diet designed for sturgeon culture.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 631/1647/2017/2003 / 631/443/319 / 631/601/1737 / Acipenser baerii / Animal Feed - analysis / Animals / Aquaculture / Aquaculture - methods / Aquaculture development / Aquaponics / Circular economy / Diet / Diet - veterinary / Fatty Acids - analysis / Fishes - growth & development / Fishes - metabolism / Fishes - physiology / Fourier transforms / Gas chromatography / Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Gene expression / Glycogen / Histology / Hsp70 protein / Humanities and Social Sciences / Infrared spectroscopy / Insecta / Intestines - physiology / Juveniles / Lipids / Liver / Liver - metabolism / Mass spectrometry / Mass spectroscopy / Microbiomes / multidisciplinary / Multidisciplinary research / Palatability / Physiological responses / Physiology / Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Sturgeon / Sustainable aquaculture / Sustainable development / Transcriptome