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What happens to feed-borne antioxidants?
Project
Project code: TI-FI-08-PID2193
Contract period: 01.05.2019
- 31.12.2021
Purpose of research: Experimental development
Fish is widely regarded as a healthy food. This is not least due to the polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids. These come from the fish feed. To protect these fatty acids from decay, antioxidants are added to the fish feed. In our project we are investigating whether antioxidants from fish feed accumulate in the water of recirculation aquaculture systems and in the fish bodies.
Fish absorb the omega-3 fatty acids, which are abundantly contained in marine fish, through their diet. In nature, omega-3 fatty acids are produced by marine microalgae. These microalgae form the basis for zooplankton. Small pelagic fish feed on zooplankton and serve again as food for predatory fish. This is how omega-3 fatty acids get into the fish. In aquaculture, fish meal and fish oil are added to fish feed, albeit to a much lesser extent than years ago. The fish oil added to fish feed is rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids, however, are not very stable and react, for example, with oxygen, which spoils the oil and makes it rancid. In addition to the resulting gradual decay of the fish feed, the positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids for human nutrition are lost, as the unsaturated compounds are destroyed by this process. Antioxidants are therefore added to fish feed to preserve the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. It is still unclear whether and to what extent these antioxidants accumulate in fish as well as in the water of recirculating aquaculture systems used for rearing.
Section overview
Subjects
- Recirculation systems
- Mariculture
