Potentiality of selected seaweed for the production of nutritious fish feed using solid state fermentation

• Main Authors: Ilias, Nurul Najihah, Jamal, Parveen, Jaswir, Irwandi, Sulaiman, Sarina, Zainudin, Zaki, Azmi, Azlin Suhaida
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling; T Technology (General); TP248.13 Biotechnology
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/40380/1/FE005.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/40380/; http://www.persiansafe.com/Contents/Pdfs/Events/33-en.pdf

The realization of the importance of fish as a protein source in human and animal food as well as the rising cost of imported fish feed ingredients have called for an intensive research towards the production of high nutritional fish feed using cheap and natural nutrient sources. In this study, seaweed and palm kernel cake were used as alternative protein ingredients in fish feed and the enrichment of its nutritional value was achieved by using solid state fermentation. Following the fermentation process, the nutrient compositions of the three types of seaweeds from three different major groups: Caulerpa lentillifera (Chlorophyta), Eucheuma cottonii (Rhodophyta) and Sargassum fulvellum (Phaeophyta) were compared in this study. Solid state fermentation was conducted for 6 days using fungus (Phanerochaete chrysosporium) and yeast (Candida utilis) in order to improve the bioprotein production. The comparison between the nutrient compositions before and after the fermentation showed that fermentation process can increase the nutrient value of the bioprotein. Results of the analysis showed that Sargassum fulvellum is the best type of seaweed with the highest total protein, 52.28 mg/g, high percentage improvement of ash after fermentation, 61.31% and contains high amount of carbohydrate, 445.89 mg/g which are very important in fish diet. Total reducing sugars also showed a significant increment after the fermentation. Hence, Sargassum fulvellum can be used as an alternative protein ingredient in the fish feed since it was rich in nutritional compounds compared to the other types of seaweed tested.