An ocean of opportunities: the potential of vitamin nutrition in aquaculture

A holistic approach for health and sustainability

Emerging research highlights the crucial role of vitamins in the immune functions of aquatic species, suggesting that optimizing vitamin intake could significantly enhance their overall health and resilience. Additionally, the limited understanding of vitamin interactions with other essential nutrients, such as minerals and lipids, calls for comprehensive research to develop more effective and balanced dietary strategies. Furthermore, supply chain constraints necessitate further optimization of vitamin nutrition in aquaculture. To optimize vitamin nutrition, the industry must shift from a reductionist to a holistic approach, considering the full spectrum of nutrients and their interactions throughout the entire life cycle of aquatic species. By doing so, we can promote sustainability, enhance fish health, and ensure the long-term viability of the aquaculture industry.

Evolving challenges and solutions in aquaculture vitamin nutrition

As the aquaculture industry navigates through economic and societal transformations, precise vitamin nutrition has never been more critical. Regular reviews of dietary vitamin levels are essential to keep pace with these dynamic changes due to several key factors:

• Innovative feed formulations: The industry is significantly reducing the use of marine raw materials in feed and increasing the use of alternative ingredients, such as blood meal, which are prone to oxidation. These innovations necessitate a careful reassessment of vitamin requirements to ensure optimal fish health and growth.
• Regulatory overhauls: Stringent regulatory changes, such as the recent suspension of ethoxyquin in Europe, necessitate a reevaluation of vitamin supplementation to comply with new standards and maintain feed quality.
• Antibiotic reduction pressures: There is a growing global pressure to minimize the use of antibiotics in aquaculture. Enhanced vitamin nutrition strategies are needed to boost the immune systems of aquatic species, reducing the reliance on antibiotics.

Embracing these changes with a proactive approach to vitamin nutrition is essential. Regularly updating dietary vitamin levels is not just recommended—it is necessary for thriving in this evolving industry.

The advantages of OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition®: the theory

Research indicates that adhering to NRC (2011) vitamin recommendations in aquaculture often leads to sub-optimal nutrition. The concept of OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® emerges from scientific findings advocating for higher vitamin levels to counteract various detrimental factors affecting animal performance and health.

OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® surpasses basic nutritional needs by enhancing vitality, growth rates, immune function, and resistance to stress and disease. Factors like water quality, stocking density, and diverse feed ingredients can affect vitamin stability and availability, making standard supplementation inadequate.

By adopting OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® (see also OVN™ Vitamin Checker), feed producers and farmers can provide sufficient vitamins to their stock, even in challenging conditions. This involves adjusting vitamin levels for different species, life stages, and environmental stresses. The goal is to achieve peak performance, robust health, and increased productivity and sustainability in aquaculture.

Implementing OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® requires continuous assessment and adjustment of vitamin supplementation strategies based on research, field observations, and technological advancements. It also involves a holistic approach to feed formulation, considering nutrient synergy and specific species needs.

In summary, while NRC (2011) guidelines offer a foundational framework, aquaculture's dynamic conditions necessitate a proactive approach. OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® (see also OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® Guidelines Aquaculture 2022) ensures aquatic animals thrive, leading to healthier stock and more efficient production systems. For more detailed scientific information, refer to the book “Optimum Vitamin Nutrition for More Sustainable Aquaculture” by dsm-firmenich and 5M, available at Optimum Vitamin Nutrition.

The advantages of OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition®: practical applications

To demonstrate the practical benefits of OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition®, dsm-firmenich recently conducted trials on salmonids and shrimp. These trials compared diets supplemented with a commercial premix to those supplemented with an OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® premix, both with and without 25-OH-D3 (Hy-D®).

In shrimp trials, optimized premixes led to significant improvements: survival rates increased by 8-11%, and final body weight increased by 22-25% under optimal rearing conditions (Figure 1).

Gene expression analysis showed that optimized vitamin use significantly enhances stress resilience, demonstrating a stronger defense mechanism against environmental stressors (Figure 2).

Rainbow trout trials also showed notable performance improvements. Optimized premixes resulted in a 2-3.7% growth increase under optimal conditions. More importantly, after exposure to crowding stress, trout recovered 6% faster in terms of growth, indicating enhanced resilience and quicker recovery provided by OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition®.

These trials underscore the tangible benefits of OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® in aquaculture. For shrimp, optimized vitamin premixes boost survival and growth rates and enhance stress resilience. The inclusion of Hy-D® in the premix further improved performance and numerically increased survival by 3% compared to the OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® group alone. In rainbow trout, enhanced growth and faster recovery post-stress highlight OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition®'s role in promoting robust health and efficient growth. An additional 4% improvement was observed under stress conditions with the supplementation of OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® with Hy-D®. By incorporating OVN Optimum Vitamin Nutrition® strategies, aquaculture practitioners can achieve healthier, more resilient stocks, leading to more productive and sustainable operations.

What’s next?

Vitamins serve as a strategic tool to enhance and sustain the growth of aquaculture by boosting production performance and stress resistance.

The next step involves shifting from an isolated nutrient approach to innovative concepts such as feed synergy and dietary patterns, which have shown effectiveness in human nutrition.

Beyond preventing deficiencies, vitamins can also help combat stressors by increasing antioxidant capacity and enhancing immune responses against pathogens or disorders. Although these beneficial effects are promising, the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored in the aquaculture industry.

Tailored formulations aim to optimize aquafeed sustainability, addressing the specific needs of different life stages of various species.