Antioxidant activity and apparent digestibility of amino acids of three macroalgae meals in the diets of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol45-issue5-fulltext-12
Abstract
The antioxidant activity of meals, growth performance, dry matter, crude protein and amino acid apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) were determined for three macroalgae in Pacific white shrimp juveniles: Gracilaria vermiculophylla, Dictyota dichotoma and Ulva lactuca. For the digestibility determination, test diets included 15% of the test ingredients and 85% of a control diet supplemented with 1% chromic oxide. The amino acid content in the ingredients, diets and feces were analyzed using HPLC. In general, nutrient digestibility values were far higher in the diets with macroalgae meals than in the control diet. In conclusion, diets with the macroalgae U. lactuca and G. vermiculophylla in particular showed high antioxidant activity, high amino acid digestibility and improved Litopenaeus vannamei growth.