PERFORMANCE OF WHITE SHRIMP Litopenaeus vannamei FED WITH NATURAL BIOSURFACTANT AS A SUBSTITUTE OF SOY LECITHIN

Phospholipids have a role in the transport of shrimp hemolymph cholesterol and in the storage and mobilization of lipids in the hepatopancreas. Soybean lecithin has been used as the main source of phospholipids in commercial shrimp diets in amounts ranging from 1% to 3%. A commercial biosurfactantas a specific phospholipids source (Lysophospholipids) has been considered an absorption amplifier in animal nutrition, acting as a biosurfactant for fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, carotenoids and other dietary nutrients.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the replacement of soy lecithin by a commercial biosurfactant on the performance of white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei), grown in high density tanks and under controlled conditions of water quality.

The trial consisted in four treatments, using one as a control group (T-A). All feedswere formulated with similar nutritional ingredients and compositions, with only the inclusion of soy lecithin and Lysolecithin (Table 1).

The weight gain of L. vannamei showed no statistical difference between treatments after 70 days of culture (Table 2). Shrimp doubled body weight (123.6%) reaching 5.3 g on average in expenditure. In the studied period, there was a slow growth (0.33 g/week), but it occurred progressively for all treatments studied.

The results of the present study indicated that the inclusion of Lysolecithin in combination with soy lecithin in the feed promoted a better growth of L. vannamei. When Lysolecithin was used in combination with soy lecithin, no significant effects were observed when soy lecithin inclusion levels increased from 1% to 2%, meaning that Lysolecithin can replace partially soy lecithin. The use of Lysolecithin alone in diets, substituting soy lecithin, caused no negative effect on the performance of L. vannamei.