Interactive effects of dietary fishmeal level and plant essential oils supplementation on European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax: Growth performance, nutrient utilization, and immunological response

• DOI: 10.1111/jwas.12616
• Publication Date: 2019-05-08T05:55:03Z
• Authors: Rui A. Gonçalves; Renata Serradeiro; Marina Machado; Benjamin Costas; Christine Hunger; Jorge Dias
• Keywords: Dicentrarchus; Sea bass; Commercial fish feed; Feed additive

Abstract The inclusion of phytogenics in fish feed is a promising strategy to compensate for the negative performance effects replacing fishmeal (FM) with vegetable sources. present work assessed interactive different dietary FM levels (22.5 and 10% formulation) supplementation commercial blend anise, citrus, oregano essential oils (Digestarom PEP M.G.E 150) on European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax growth performance, nutrient utilization, gut morphology, antioxidant status, immunological response over 60‐day trial. Results showed decreased protein efficiency ratio increased conversion low level. In contrast, phytogenic product demonstrated improved utilization together energy retention. Supplementation plant fully compensated intestinal changes observed bass fed low‐FM diet but little improvement response, except 30% increase lysozyme activity FM‐supplemented compared those standard high‐FM diet. Overall, this study supports use diets as possible tool decrease costs associated without compromising health.