Physiological responses of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) juveniles fed on full-fat insect-based diet in an aquaponic system

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Zarantoniello, Matteo, Randazzo, Basilio, Nozzi, Valentina, Truzzi, Cristina, Giorgini, Elisabetta, Cardinaletti, Gloriana, Freddi, Lorenzo, Ratti, Stefano, Girolametti, Federico, Osimani, Andrea, Notarstefano, Valentina, Milanović, Vesna, Riolo, Paola, Isidoro, Nunzio, Tulli, Francesca, Gioacchini, Giorgia, Olivotto, Ike
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Acipenser baerii; Siberian sturgeon
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11390/1196247; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80379-x

Over the last years, the potential use of Black Soldier Fly meal (BSF) as a new and sustainable aquafeed ingredient has been largely explored in several fish species. However, only fragmentary information is available about the use of BSF meal-based diets in sturgeon nutrition. In consideration of a circular economy concept and a more sustainable aquaculture development, the present research represents the first comprehensive multidisciplinary study on the physiological effects of a BSF diet during sturgeon culture in an aquaponic system. Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) juveniles were fed over a 60-days feeding trial on a control diet (Hi0) and a diet containing 50% of full-fat BSF meal respect to fish meal (Hi50). Physiological responses of fish were investigated using several analytical approaches, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, histology, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), microbiome sequencing and Real-time PCR. While aquaponic systems performed optimally during the trial, Hi50 group fish showed lower diet acceptance that resulted in growth and survival reduction, a decrease in hepatic lipids and glycogen content (FTIR), a higher hepatic hsp70.1 gene expression and a worsening in gut histological morphometric parameters. The low feed acceptance showed by Hi50 group sturgeon highlighted the necessity to improve the palatability of BSF-based diet designed for sturgeon culture.