Implications of dietary soybean meal replacement with corn gluten meal on growth performance, antioxidant activities, hepatopancreatic histopathology, and intestinal flora of juvenile Pacific shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

• Published in: Aquaculture reports 2023-12, Vol.33, p.101821, Article 101821
• Main Authors: Yohana, Mpwaga Alatwinusa, Ray, Gyan Watson, Yang, Qihui, Tan, Beiping, Chi, Shuyan, Lin, Huaxing, Mao, Minling, Yi, Yuanming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Corn gluten meal; Growth; Histology, Intestinal flora; Pacific white shrimp
• ISSN: 2352-5134; 2352-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aqrep.2023.101821

This study aimed to investigate the potential of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with corn gluten meal (CGM) in the diet of Pacific white shrimp (Litopaeneaus vannamei). The study examined the effects of a dietary soybean meal replacement on growth, biochemical indices, antioxidant activities, histology, and intestinal flora. A total of 840 juvenile Pacific shrimp were fed seven diets containing different levels of CGM, ranging from diet 1 (diet1) 0% (control), diet2 (3%), diet3 (7%), diet4 (9%), diet5 (11.8%), diet6 (12.7%), and diet 7 (14.4%). The experiment was conducted over 56 days, with three replicate of each group (initial mean weight = 0.13 0.00 g). The results showed that dietary CGM significantly increased final body weight, average weight gain, and specific growth rate. However, the inclusion of dietary CGM decreased with higher levels. The feed conversion ratio of diets 2 and 3 was considerably lower than that of the control group. The activities of alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase increased significantly with the feeding of CGM, while the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase decreased significantly. The histology of the hepatopancreas showed an evident epithelial tubule (E, B, R, and F), and the number of intact epithelial cells increased considerably with the increasing inclusion of CGM (P