Essential amino acid requirements of fish and crustaceans, a meta‐analysis

Abstract

A meta‐analysis of literature data on essential amino acid (EAA) requirements of fish and crustaceans was performed to re‐estimate EAA requirements and provide ideal amino acid profiles. Large numbers of studies have been conducted on EAA requirements of fish and crustaceans over the past decades. However, estimated EAA requirements of different species showed a large variation due to differences in methodological approaches and regression models. An extensive search and inclusion of literature on EAA requirements were conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines in this study, resulting in a dataset of 358 studies covering 77 species. The relative percentage of maximum weight gain was used as the outcome to evaluate the 10 EAA requirements. Forest plots analysis was employed for heterogeneity analysis, study weight allocation and re‐estimation of the requirements. Results showed that trophic level, water temperature and dietary EAA inclusion levels affected EAA requirements estimation. The meta‐analysis suggested that the estimated 10 EAA requirements (expressed as % crude protein, CP) of the fish were: arginine (Arg) 5.0 (±0.14), histidine (His) 2.0 (±0.11), isoleucine (Ile) 3.3 (±0.16), leucine (Leu) 4.9 (±0.24), valine (Val) 3.8 (±0.11), lysine (Lys) 5.2 (±0.12), sulfur amino acids (Met + Cys) 3.5 (±0.18), total aromatic amino acids (Phe + Tyr) 6.2 (±0.12), threonine (Thr) 3.5 (±0.18) and tryptophan (Trp) 0.9 (±0.08). Estimated EAA requirements (expressed as % CP) of crustaceans were Arg 5.1 (±0.31), His 2.5 (±0.15), Ile 4.3 (±0.97), Leu 5.7 (±0.08), Val 4.3 (±0.30), Lys 4.9 (±0.28), Met + Cys 3.2 (±0.18), Phe + Tyr 5.1 (±0.65), Thr 3.8 (±0.04) and Trp 0.8 (±0.15).

An In-Depth Insight into the Profile, Mechanisms, Functions, and Transfer of Essential Amino Acids from Mulberry Leaves to Silkworm Bombyx mori L. Pupae and Fish

“…According to Xing et al [91], at least three factors must be considered in order to diversify the protein sources required for the large number of aquatic species: (i) the profile, bioavailability, and sources of AAs; (ii) the amount and balance of AAs; (iii) the ideal ratios of AAs in diet to digestible energy. Since excess AAs contribute to energy production, we need to understand more about the relative roles of individual AAs oxidation and its favored use in relation to total metabolic demands.…”

“…When represented as a percentage of dietary protein, there is a substantial positive association between the level of dietary EAAs incorporated and the required amount of EAAs [91].…”

Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) rearing and growth optimization as a sustainable food source using various larval diets under laboratory conditions

“…Mealworms have a high crude protein content of 25-60% and fat content of 15-40% (Khan et al, 2017). Mealworm protein has more essential amino acids than soybean meal or fish meal (Riaz et al, 2023;Xing et al, 2023). However, fish meal remains a premium source of essential amino acids, particularly for aquaculture and animal feeds (Xing et al, 2023).…”

“…Mealworm protein has more essential amino acids than soybean meal or fish meal (Riaz et al, 2023;Xing et al, 2023). However, fish meal remains a premium source of essential amino acids, particularly for aquaculture and animal feeds (Xing et al, 2023). Fresh mealworm has been used successfully in fish diets (Henry et al, 2015;Grau et al, 2017;Riaz et al, 2023).…”