Corn gluten and meat and bone meals as protein sources in diets for gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata): Nutritional and histological implications

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to compare the effect of the partial substitution of fish meal by two different protein sources, corn gluten (CGM) and meat and bone meals (MBM) in diets for juveniles gilthead seabream. Growth, feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and protein productive values were not significantly affected by the source of dietary protein, although higher values were observed with diets containing increasing levels of meat and bone meal. No differences were found in fish proximate composition at the end of the experiment. Histological studies of liver tissue showed no liver alteration in fish fed diets including increasing levels of corn gluten meal. On the contrary, an increased deposition of lipids, nuclei polarization and isolated necrotic focus were found in hepatocites of fish fed diets exceeding 20% of meat and bone protein. Apparent protein digestibility (ADC) in diets containing CGM showed similar results to those obtained with the control diet. However, a significant reduction in digestibility was observed when MBM was used as partial substitute of fish meal protein. A negative correlation between dietary ash content and protein digestibility was observed. Higher amounts of nitrogen were excreted as levels of CGM and MBM increased in the diets, being significantly higher in the case of 40% substitution either with CGM or MBM protein.