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Title: EFFECTS OF LYSINE AND ARGININE ON GROWTH OF TILAPIA FED DIETS RICH IN CORN GLUTEN MEAL

Author
item Wu, Ying Victor
item ROSATI, RONALD - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item BROWN, PAUL - PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/13/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Increased use of domestic fuel alcohol, fermentatively derived from corn, reduces our dependence on foreign petroleum. Furthermore, it utilizes a renewable resource produced in abundance by American farmers. Fermentation of corn to make alcohol also produces a protein-rich coproduct. As demands for fuel alcohol increase, a greater amount of this coproduct will be available, and it is economically essential to find new markets for it. Protein-rich alcohol coproduct is potentially an inexpensive ingredient for fish feed. It is important to determine if fish will grow well from diets containing this material. Fish fed some diets containing protein-rich alcohol coproduct grew equally well compared with fish fed commercial feed. This alcohol coproduct from corn can thus be used in fish feed, resulting in greater market demands for corn farmers and less expensive feeds for fish producers.

Technical Abstract: Tilapia is a warmwater fish with mild flavor. Domestic production of tilapia is nearly 19 million pounds and about 50 million pounds is imported. Corn gluten meal (60% protein fraction) is a product obtained from wet milling of corn. Diets (36% protein) containing 36-44% corn gluten meal with different levels of lysine and fish meal were formulated and fed to tilapia for 12 weeks in aquaria. The weight gain of tilapia fed diets containing the highest level of lysine (7.4% of protein) with 4% fish meal and adequate arginine levels (3.4% of protein) was equal to that of fish fed a commercial control. Diets with lower lysine and/or lower arginine levels resulted in lower weight gain (P<0.05 for arginine) and reduced weight gains inversely correlated with the amount of lysine or arginine in the diet. The feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio of tilapia fed the experimental diets containing adequate levels of essential amino acids and fish meal were the same as fish fed the commercial control (also containing fish meal). Fish fed the diets containing lower lysine and/or arginine levels had less favorable feed conversion ratios and protein efficiency ratios. This study shows that corn gluten meal is well utilized at high levels in tilapia diets, particularly if essential amino acids are adequately provided.