Project description:The increasing aquaculture production volumes have caused an escalating demand for alternative protein feed ingredients. Agro-industrial by-products such as sunflower meal are relatively abundant and cheap, but the inclusion levels are limited due to the presence of antinutritional factors and fiber. Solid state fermentation is a processing method with the aim of reducing the content of fiber and antinutritional factors and improving nutritional value in plant protein raw materials. In this study, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at two commercial-like fish farms were fed diets containing 5% non-fermented sunflower meal (as a control diet) and two experimental diets with 5% or 10% fermented sunflower meal. The field trial lasted for eight and 11 months in a coastal and fjord location, respectively with the aim of comparing the effect of fermented diets on growth performance, gut microbiota, distal intestine histology and gene expression of Atlantic salmon under different environmental conditions. The findings revealed that diets with fermented sunflower meal sustained growth performance, improved intestinal health by reducing the prevalence of prominent inflammation and ectopic goblet cells and promoted gut lactic acid bacteria Lactiplantibacillus and Lactobaccilaceae after long-term feeding. Our results suggest that fermented sunflower meal is suitable as a protein source for Atlantic salmon when included at a level of up to 10% in the diet.
Project description:Natto is a traditional Japanese food from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis natto. Natto contains a powerful fibrinolytic enzyme called nattokinase (NK), which has thrombolytic, anti-hypertensive, anti-atherosclerotic and lipid-lowering effects. This project aims to study the effects of NK in vascular inflammation.
