Effects of Graded Dietary Inclusion Level of Full-Fat Prepupae Meal in Practical Diets for Rainbow Trout ().

This study investigated the effects of dietary inclusion levels of full-fat prepupae meal (H) on growth and gastrointestinal integrity in rainbow trout (). A 98-day study was conducted using triplicate groups of trout (initial body weight, 137 ± 10.5 g) kept in 1-m tanks in a flow-through well water system. Three dietary treatments were prepared: one based on fishmeal and purified protein-rich vegetable ingredients (H0), and two experimental diets including graded levels of H meal (25% and 50%, referred to as H25 and H50, respectively). At the end of the feeding trial, no differences were observed in growth performance and plasma metabolite levels, with the biometric data confirmed by the liver expression of the genes involved in somatic growth regulation ( and ). In the H50 group, a three-fold up regulation of liver was observed. An activation of the stress/immune response (, , and 5) was observed in medium intestine in the H25 and H50 groups ( < 0.05) together with a villi length reduction detected through histological analyses. Liver histology and Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging (FTIRI) spectroscopy highlighted an increase in lipid deposition. These findings suggest that caution should be taken into account when 50% replacement of conventional ingredients with H is selected.