ISSUE FOCUS 54 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2025 In krill, TMAO has long been recognized as one of the compounds contributing to its attractant effect. Krill meal contains a significant amount of TMAO because the concentration is naturally high in live krill. The meal is produced by processing the whole krill immediately after capture, with careful handling of the raw material ensuring that the krill's nutritional composition, including TMAO, is preserved. This preservation extends to the point where the meal is delivered to feed producers and incorporated into fish feeds. There is extensive documentation that krill supports fish health and robustness. Krill is a natural part of the salmon diet in the wild and is rich in nutrients known to enhance fish health, like EPA and DHA, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. With the increasing knowledge around osmolytes it is increasingly plausible that TMAO contributes to the health benefits provided by krill, particularly under challenging conditions. KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO SUCCEED WITH NEW RAW MATERIALS As the aquaculture industry continues to grow, it is crucial to be able to develop, and to utilize more raw materials that provide beneficial nutrients for fish feed. Krill is rich in many of the nutrients that fish need to stay healthy, and including krill in the diets may also enable use of other novel ingredients that might not be as palatable or lack the complete nutrient profile required to fully support fish health and growth. Increasing the knowledge on what salmon require to stay healthy means increasing the chances to successfully introduce new raw materials into the aquaculture diets. References 1. Bockus et.al 2025: Dietary trimethylamine oxide alters digestibility, intestinal histopathology, and gene expression in soy fed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) 2. Rørvik et.al 2001: Urea and trimethylamine oxide in diets for seawater farmed rainbow trout: effect on fat belching, skin vesicle, winter ulcer and quality grading 3. Carroll, et.al 2004. «Effect of Temperature on the Drinking Rates of Two Species of Flatfish, Flounder and Turbot». 4. Gaten et.al 2008, Is vertical migration in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) influenced by an underlying circadian rhythm? About Marianne Nergård Marianne Nergård is a veterinarian from NMBU’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Norway, specializing in aqua medicine, and how nutrition affects health of salmon. She has previously worked in product development and technical sales with a global fish feed producer, and is now working with documentation and product support as product director at Aker QRILL Company.
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