Alexandre LEDUC

Nutrition for sustainable fish farming

 

Main field: Structural and functional analysis of protein sources alternative to fishmeal for farmed fish feeding.

 The use of alternative sources of protein to fishmeal for farmed fish feeding is validated (or not) by zootechnics, histology and "omics" combined approaches. These new ingredients must reach a double requirement: i) be accessible and sustainable and ii) achieve the same performance as rich fishmeal diet. The performance of a diet is based on a close link between nutritional properties and "health" benefit provided by protein and peptides. The protein fraction of the feed is essential for the proper functioning of fish energy metabolism, a guarantee of growth performance. The health benefits are ensured by bioactive peptides found in fishmeal. These active compounds are capable of both compensating for the anti-nutritive factors contained in vegetable meal of the diet but also promoting immunostimulation and/or morphological (and therefore functional) improvement of the intestinal epithelium.

Conbining zootechnical, histological and "omics" approaches makes it possible to identify biomarkers associated with nutrition (nutrient transporters, morphogenesis of the intestinal epithelium), metabolic pathways and immunity signaling pathways specifically modulated by alternative sources of protein in diet during trial and challenge.

 

Secondary field: Identification of bioactive peptides.

Bioactive peptide identification from complex matrices (animal meals, hydrolysates) developing functional tests coupled with peptidomics approaches is a major objective which aims to allow their use as functional additives in aquafeed.



Keywords: sustainable aquaculture, transcriptomics, proteomics, peptidomics, alternatives to fishmeal, nutrition, fish, bioactive peptides.