article · Aquaculture Research
Replacing fish meal and fish oil with plant proteins and plant oils in diets for Nile tilapia fingerlings was examined alongside the effects of lecithin supplementation. Fingerlings fed standard fish meal and fish oil diets exhibited higher body weights than those given diets solely composed of plant ingredients, though this difference was not statistically significant. However, the addition of lecithin significantly improved growth performance, with the most notable enhancement occurring in fish receiving the fully plant-based feed. Diets containing plant alternatives raised serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels across groups, while albumin levels decreased in fish on complete plant diets. Supplementation with lecithin also modulated the expression of regulatory genes associated with growth and lipid metabolism, driving the highest expression levels. These results demonstrate that Nile tilapia can effectively utilise plant-based feed formulations when supplemented with lecithin.
Aquaculture relies heavily on fish meal and fish oil, which are costly and environmentally constrained. Identifying sustainable plant-based alternatives that do not compromise fish growth is critical for fish farming. Demonstrating that lecithin helps Nile tilapia effectively utilise plant ingredients provides practical insight into formulating sustainable feeds that maintain healthy development in a key farmed species.
This research informs aquafeed formulation and dietary manufacturing for commercial tilapia aquaculture. Feed producers and aquaculture operators are the likely end-users looking to replace costly marine ingredients with plant-derived proteins and oils. As an applied trial evaluating fingerling growth and metabolic markers, the work is tested at laboratory level, meaning full-scale commercial trials are required before direct commercial implementation in industrial feed production.
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The current study evaluated the effects of replacing fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) with plant ingredients without or with lecithin supplementation on Nile tilapia growth, blood biochemistry, intestinal morphology, growth- and lipid-metabolism-related gene expression. Fingerlings were assigned to six dietary groups: FM and FO (G1), FM and plant oil (G2), plant protein and plant oil (G3), and the same three treatments but with lecithin supplementation (G4–G6) respectively. Fingerlings in G1 and G2 showed higher body weight than fish in G3 (p > 0.05). Lecithin supplementation improved (p < 0.05) growth, particularly in fish fed plant ingredients (G6). Fish fed different diets showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein concentrations compared with G1. Albumin concentration was significantly reduced in G3 and G6. Partial or complete replacement of FO and FM with plant ingredients, with or without lecithin, significantly modulated (p < 0.05) expression levels of some regulatory genes related to growth and lipid metabolism, with the highest expression in lecithin-supplemented fish. It could be concluded that the complete replacement of FM and FO with plant ingredients (plant protein and oil) non-significantly reduced fish performance. Nevertheless, with lecithin supplementation, Nile tilapia can effectively utilize this plant-based diet as reflected with enhanced growth.
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DOI: 10.1111/are.15494
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