Metabolomics and fish nutrition: a review in the context of sustainable feed development

Abstract

Aquaculture is facing a strategic challenge to improve feed suitability and support the global increase in fish production. Improvements in diet formulation for sustainable nutritional strategies have focused to date on the partial substitution of marine resources by plant resources but will now include other alternative feedstuffs. Growth trials and body composition data provide valuable indicators of fish nutritional status, while omics technologies may contribute to a better understanding of fish nutrition and help to demonstrate how feed and nutrients act in fish metabolism. Metabolomic approaches give an insight into fish metabolism through a non‐targeted analysis of metabolites in tissues or biofluids that involve multiple factors affecting fish, such as nutrition. In this review, we highlight the outcomes of publications in metabolomics applied to fish nutrition. We explain the concept of metabolomics and discuss specific technical considerations related to sample type, sampling and sample preparation. We show how metabolomic studies help to elucidate the impact of nutrition on fish fillet composition and fish metabolism. Finally, we describe the potential applications of metabolomic approaches for the non‐invasive monitoring of fish nutritional status.

Metabolic and immune responses of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts to a short‐term poly (I:C) challenge

“…Consistent with the present study, work in teleosts demonstrated that poly (I:C) induced ifnγ to stimulate respiratory burst activity in vitro (Grayfer & Belosevic, 2009) and in vivo (Zhou et al, 2014;Zhu et al, 2019). are essential AAs for fish (Halver et al, 1957;National Research Council, 2011;Wilson, 2002) and are involved in energy metabolism (Roques et al, 2018b;Wagner et al, 2014).…”

“…Metabolites associated with the valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis pathway were upregulated in fish serum (Figure ). The three branched‐chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential AAs for fish (Halver et al ., ; National Research Council, ; Wilson, ) and are involved in energy metabolism (Roques et al ., ; Wagner et al ., ).…”

Metabolic Effects of Dietary Glycerol Supplementation in Muscle and Liver of European Seabass and Rainbow Trout by 1H NMR Metabolomics

“…Tissue metabolite profiling using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is being increasingly applied in the aquaculture field, for example, to evaluate the effects of different rearing conditions [11,12] or to determine the influence of alternative dietary ingredients on the tissue metabolome [13,14]. These and other applications were recently reviewed by Roques et al [15].…”

Putative imbalanced amino acid metabolism in rainbow trout long term fed a plant-based diet as revealed by 1H-NMR metabolomics

“…Metabolomics has recently begun to be used in fish nutrition to analyse the effects of feeding ( 26 , 27 ) , the impact of a wild v. a natural diet ( 23 ) and the effects of feed ingredients ( 28 – 32 ) , and more recently, to evaluate the development of new diets ( 33 – 36 ) . The two main metabolomic approaches are proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR) and mass spectrometry, each having their own advantages and technical limitations ( 37 ) . NMR is not sensitive and selective with only a few dozens of metabolites detected and identified requiring a significant sample size.…”