Lupine as an alternative in feeding fish

Abstract

Worldwide, fishmeal and soybean meal have been used as the main raw materials in the production of fish feed. In Venezuela, these inputs are imported so they have a high cost and little availability in the market, this situation has affected the production system, which is why large and small producers have looked for alternative sources of nationally produced proteins, which guarantee the sustainability of fish production systems in continental waters. Various investigations have evaluated the use of raw materials, such as legumes, due to their high nutritional value.

In this sense, lupine (Lupinus spp) has become a viable alternative due to its protein content and structural composition that make it more digestible; although its use is limited by various antinutritional factors such as the presence of alkaloids, which can exert some change in the taste of the food and even produce toxic effects. However, Olvera and Olivera (2000) indicate that these factors are eliminated with heat treatments. The main use of this legume is as food for freshwater fish such as trout and tilapia.