Evaluation of Moringa oleifera and corn starch as feed for seed production of the pearl oyster Pteria sterna (Gould,1851)

Aquaculture, 567, 739259, 2023

In the search for complementary diets to improve performance in bivalve farming, the use of terrestrial plants with nutritional and nutraceutical properties has been proposed as an alternative. The effectiveness of moringa leaf meal Moringa oleifera (Mo) was evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions (30 days), as a dietary supplement during the pre-growth stage of Pteria sterna seeds (7.2 ± 0.59 mm), as well as its combinations with microalgae and corn starch (Co), on growth and survival in the laboratory and its subsequent initial suspended culture in the sea. Diets were formulated with a mixture of the microalgae Tetraselmis suecica and Chaetoceros gracilis (M), diet M; M and 5% Mo (M + Mo); diet M and 5% corn starch (M + Co); 100% moringa leaf meal (Mo); 100% corn starch (Co), and diet M with 2.5% Mo and 2,5% Co (M + Mo + Co). The Mo diet did not provide pre-seed sustainability, resulting in 100% mortality at 30 days. From the rest of the diets, M obtained the lowest oyster survival, while M + Mo and M + Mo + Co showed the highest growth rates. At the end of the laboratory bioassay, the seeds were sown in a culture system in the open sea (50 days), where the highest growth occurred in the juveniles previously fed with M + Mo + Co. The results suggest that, in the nursery, P. sterna pre-seeds can be maintained with a diet of 100% corn starch, but not with 100% moringa flour, probably due to its poor digestibility. However, moringa used as an additive to the microalgae diet provided a higher yield in the oyster, which is reflected in a higher yield in the initial culture outdoors.

Evaluation of Moringa oleifera and corn starch as feed for seed production of the pearl oyster Pteria sterna (Gould,1851)

Aquaculture, 567, 739259, 2023

In the search for complementary diets to improve performance in bivalve farming, the use of terrestrial plants with nutritional and nutraceutical properties has been proposed as an alternative. The effectiveness of moringa leaf meal Moringa oleifera (Mo) was evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions (30 days), as a dietary supplement during the pre-growth stage of Pteria sterna seeds (7.2 ± 0.59 mm), as well as its combinations with microalgae and corn starch (Co), on growth and survival in the laboratory and its subsequent initial suspended culture in the sea. Diets were formulated with a mixture of the microalgae Tetraselmis suecica and Chaetoceros gracilis (M), diet M; M and 5% Mo (M + Mo); diet M and 5% corn starch (M + Co); 100% moringa leaf meal (Mo); 100% corn starch (Co), and diet M with 2.5% Mo and 2,5% Co (M + Mo + Co). The Mo diet did not provide pre-seed sustainability, resulting in 100% mortality at 30 days. From the rest of the diets, M obtained the lowest oyster survival, while M + Mo and M + Mo + Co showed the highest growth rates. At the end of the laboratory bioassay, the seeds were sown in a culture system in the open sea (50 days), where the highest growth occurred in the juveniles previously fed with M + Mo + Co. The results suggest that, in the nursery, P. sterna pre-seeds can be maintained with a diet of 100% corn starch, but not with 100% moringa flour, probably due to its poor digestibility. However, moringa used as an additive to the microalgae diet provided a higher yield in the oyster, which is reflected in a higher yield in the initial culture outdoors.

Extraction, Properties, and Applications of Bioactive Compounds Obtained from Microalgae

 Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2020, 26, 1929-1950

DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200403172206

With the increase in the global population, getting new sources of food is essential. One of the solutions can be found in the oceans due to algae. Microalgae are aquatic photosynthetic organisms used mainly due to their variety of bioactive compounds. The consumption of microalgae has been carried out for centuries and is recommended by organizations, such as OMS and FAO, due to its nutritional value and its properties. Based on the existing literature, there is substantial evidence of the nutritional quality of the algae as well as their functional elements. However, much quantification is still necessary, as well as studying possible adverse effects. The present review describes the compounds of alimentary interest present in these algae as well as different extraction techniques assisted by different energetic mechanisms (such as heat, supercritical-fluid, microwave, ultrasound, enzymes, electric field, high hydrostatic pressure, among others). The most challenging and crucial issues are reducing microalgae growth cost and optimizing extraction techniques. This review aimed a better understanding of the uses of microalgae for new researches in nutrition. Since the use of microalgae is still a field in which there is much to discover, it is likely that more benefits will be found in its consumption.