Improving the feasibility of aquaculture feed by using microalgae

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 28; no. 32; pp. 43234 - 43257
• Main Authors: Ansari, Faiz Ahmad, Guldhe, Abhishek, Gupta, Sanjay Kumar, Rawat, Ismail, Bux, Faizal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-08-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algae; Amino acids; Animal Feed; Animals; Aquaculture; Aquaculture effluents; Aquaculture feeds; Aquaculture products; Aquaponics; Aquatic microorganisms; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioactive compounds; Biomass; Carbohydrates; Dietary supplements; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Fatty acids; Feasibility Studies; Feed industry; Fish feeds; Fish meal; Fish oils; Food chains; Food industry; Lipids; Microalgae; Nutritive value; Pigments; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Production costs; Proteins; Renewable energy; Review Article; Vegetable oils; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater - analysis; Wastewater treatment; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Lipid extracted algae; Proteins; Carbohydrates; Microalgae; Aquaculture feed
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14989-x

The aquaculture industry is an efficient edible protein producer and grows faster than any other food sector. Therefore, it requires enormous amounts of fish feed. Fish feed directly affects the quality of produced fish, potential health benefits, and cost. Fish meal (FM), fis oil (FO), and plant-based supplements, predominantly used in fish feed, face challenges of low availability, low nutritional value, and high cost. The cost associated with aquaculture feed represents 40–75% of aquaculture production cost and one of the key market drivers for the thriving aquaculture industry. Microalgae are a primary producer in aquatic food chains. Microalgae are expanding continuously in renewable energy, pharmaceutical pigment, wastewater treatment, food, and feed industries. Major components of microalgal biomass are proteins with essential amino acids, lipids with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), carbohydrates, pigments, and other bioactive compounds. Thus, microalgae can be used as an essential, viable, and alternative feed ingredient in aquaculture feed. In recent times, live algae culture, whole algae, and lipid-extracted algae (LEA) have been tested in fish feed for growth, physiological activity, and nutritional value. The present review discusses the potential application of microalgae in aquaculture feed, its mode of application, nutritional value, and possible replacement of conventional feed ingredients, and disadvantages of plant-based feed. The review also focuses on integrated processes such as algae cultivation in aquaculture wastewater, aquaponics systems, challenges, and future prospects of using microalgae in the aquafeed industry.