ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2023 81 non-essentials because fish can synthesize them at a rate that meets cellular demand for protein synthesis. Both essential and non-essential amino acids are required by body cells whenever proteins are being synthesized. IDEAL PROTEIN CONCEPT IN AQUACULTURE FEED Excess nitrogen excreted as ammonia by fish may have a negative impact on the environment because it is a major contributor to water pollution. Because every species of fish and the individual proteins within each species has its own unique amino acid composition, the ideal situation would be to formulate a low protein feed that would minimize nitrogen excretion and at the same time meet all requirements for essential amino acids. Today, in other species such as poultry and swine, this is done routinely since synthetic essential amino acids (e.g., methionine, lysine, threonine) are commercially available, and these animals utilize these synthetic amino acids efficiently. Reducing the amount of total protein in fish feeds can increase profitability and minimize nitrogen pollution. Selecting proteins with high digestibility and formulating feeds with the appropriate balance of amino acids can easily accomplish this. The use of nutrient-dense feeds can also decrease costs and minimize nitrogenous waste from aquaculture facilities. A nutrient-dense feed will supply a significant amount of a particular nutrient or nutrients relative to the amount of energy occupying space in a feed pellet. Both of these approaches are being successfully implemented for poultry and swine, with significant improvements in feed conversion ratios and reductions in nitrogenous waste.
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