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National R&D

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Effect of fatty acid source (n-6 vs. n-3) on the eicosanoid cascade and intestine inflammation in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

Principal Investigator
Group Leader

PhD in Biology, Universidade do Porto, 1988. Degree in Biology, Universidade do Porto, 1981. Current professional status: Full Professor at Faculty of Sciences, Porto University, since 1998. Head of the Fish Nutrition and Welfare Group – NUTRIMU, CIIMAR
Director of the M.Sc. in Biological Aquatic Resources, Faculty of Sciences, Porto University. Co-director of the PhD program in Biology.
Editor-in-Chief: Aquaculture Journal
Associate Editor of: Aquaculture; Animal Feedstuffs and Technology; Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Domain of specialization: Fish Nutrition
Research interests: Nutrition of marine fish of interest for aquaculture.
Main research topics: Protein and amino acids requirements and metabolism. Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Ingredients alternative to fish meal and fish oil for use in aquafeeds. Nutritional strategies for improving fish health and welfare. Immunology. Gut microbiota. Use of nutraceuticals in fish nutrition.

RESEARCH GROUPS:

No results found.

Sustainable development of intensive aquaculture depends on dietary fishmeal (FM) and fish oil (FO) replacement by plant feedstuffs. Though replacement of diet FM poses practical problems most of them are being overcome by the application of judicious nutritional strategies. Replacement of FO by vegetable oils (VO) is more striking, namely by marine fish having absolute requirements of n-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (LC-PUFA) which are not present in VO.

Thus, in practical aquafeeds for marine fish FO cannot be completely replaced by alternative oil sources. FO has however been partially replaced with success in marine fish diets without negative consequences on fish performance. Nevertheless, even partial replacement of FO by VO in aquafeeds drastically alters dietary FA profile and the n-3/n-6 FA ratio, and this may have negative consequences in fish immune status.
This study intends to investigate the effect of dietary FA, and the interaction of dietary FA with dietary carbohydrates, on lipid metabolism, eicosanoid cascade, and the immune status of an important aquaculture species: gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), aiming to potentiate the use of VO in aquafeeds for marine species, aiming to promote a healthy sustainability of aquaculture industry. Data of this study is expected to be extrapolated to other marine fish species, and to contribute to a better understanding of the importance of n-3 FA in farmed animals and humans.

 

Project Sheetaqui

Leader Institution
CIIMAR-UP
Program
Compete 2020
Funding
Other projects