ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2025 53 supports fish robustness, particularly under challenging conditions such as cold waters. One increasingly discussed hypothesis is that osmolytes, especially TMAO, protect fish from dehydration, thereby strengthening their barriers and enhancing overall robustness. INCREASING FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF OSMOLYTES IN MARINE RAW MATERIALS The importance of previously unrecognized beneficial components in marine ingredients was highlighted during a talk at the IFFO conference in October 2024. Senior researcher Antony J Prabhu Philip from the Norwegian research institute NOFIMA presented a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge on osmolytes and their significance in fish feed. “Although classified as non-essential nutrients, we need to acknowledge the essential role of osmolytes in feed and as a key source from marine ingredients. With 62.8 million salmon died at sea in 2023 (16.7%), mostly from diseases, wounds, osmoregulatory dysfunction should not be overlooked as we work to improve fish welfare,” said Antony J Prabhu Philip during the IFFO Conference in 2024. It is known that when marine ingredients have been replaced with novel, often plant--based ingredients, the reduction of certain nutrients in marine ingredients may have affected fish health negatively. The Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA is the most well-known and studied example, but it is evident that there might be more secrets in the marine ingredients in the form of components that is valuable and not yet investigated. Antony Philip and collaborators are investigating this in a research project «OsmoProtect» funded by The Research Council of Norway focusing on the role of osmolytes including TMAO, in supporting fish health through challenging periods. Aker QRILL Company is excited to follow the research, which has the potential to uncover a new range of essential nutrients in marine ingredients. KRILL IS A RICH SOURCE OF TMAO Krill are particularly reliant on TMAO due to their rapid daily migrations between deep and shallow waters, driven by light. During the day, they remain in deep, dark waters to avoid predators, and at night, they ascend to shallower waters to feed on algae that are more abundant near the surface. TMAO protects krill from damage caused by pressure changes as they move through different ocean layers. Figure 1. Trials have shown that increasing the amount of osmolytes in the diet, improved skin health and reduced mortality in salmon faced with wound infections. Figure source: Antony J Prabhu Philip. IFFO presentation. Essentiality of non-essentials in marine ingredients - key to fish health. 21-23 October, 2024. Lisbon, Portugal. Data from Rørvik 2000, Rørvik 2001
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