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From Brewery Waste to Sustainable Aquafeed: Harnessing Nannochloropsis Microalgae for Fishmeal-Free Gilthead Sea Bream Diets

Fernando Naya-Català Orcid Logo, Ricardo Domingo-Bretón Orcid Logo, Qinge Ma Orcid Logo, Paul George Holhorea Orcid Logo, Álvaro Belenguer Orcid Logo, Federico Moroni Orcid Logo, Josep Calduch-Giner Orcid Logo, Alla Silkina Orcid Logo, Danny Van Mullem, Ronald Halim Orcid Logo, Jaume Pérez-Sánchez Orcid Logo

Aquaculture Nutrition, Volume: 2026, Start page: 1003936

Swansea University Author: Alla Silkina Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1155/anu/1003936

Abstract

The microalgae cultivated from brewery waste was considered a sustainable feed ingredient for gilthead sea bream ( ), evaluating physiological, molecular and microbial responses. Over 96 days, fish were fed four isoproteic and isolipidic diets: a commercial-based diet (D1), and three fishmeal-free d...

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Published in: Aquaculture Nutrition
ISSN: 1365-2095
Published: Wiley 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa72127
Abstract: The microalgae cultivated from brewery waste was considered a sustainable feed ingredient for gilthead sea bream ( ), evaluating physiological, molecular and microbial responses. Over 96 days, fish were fed four isoproteic and isolipidic diets: a commercial-based diet (D1), and three fishmeal-free diets with increasing inclusion levels (0%, D2; 2%, D3; 14%, D4). The D4 diet was additionally supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich algae oil instead of fish oil (FO). Growth performance remained almost equal in fish fed all the fishmeal-free diets with only a slight and final improvement (<4%) in the control D1 fish, although an enhanced expression with a discriminant capacity was reported for hepatic growth-related markers ( and ) in D4 fish. Gene expression profiling also revealed a down-regulation of fatty acid synthesis in combination with the up-regulation of tissue lipid-uptake genes, mostly linked to the dietary DHA enrichment. Antioxidant capacity was increased in both D3-D4 fish, suggesting a progressive activation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic defences with the dietary microalgae diets (D3-D4). Moreover, intestinal transcriptomic profiling revealed a tightly regulated immune milieu, with coordinated modulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways indicative of an immune surveillance state induced by dietary microalgae. Water microbiota also shifted with diet composition, indicating a link between feeding strategy and environmental microbial communities. Taking all together, inclusion, particularly when combined with DHA-rich microalgae oil, enhances fish health, immune and antioxidant status and beneficial gut microbiota markers. Altogether makes the circularly-produced a valuable resource for the sustainable development of aquaculture feeds.
Keywords: aquafeed circular economy, brewery wastewater, gut microbiota, Nannochloropsis, transcriptomics, water microbiota
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: This work was funded by the ‘AlgaeBrew: Unlocking the potential of microalgae for the valorisation of brewery waste products into omega-3 rich animal feed and fertilisers’ transnational EU project (ERA-NET’s SUSFOOD2-FOSC joint call in innovative solutions for resilient, climate-smart and sustainable food systems; Project ID 2021SUSFOODFOSCEN101). The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Ireland, for their financial support. Fernando Naya-Català was funded by the CSIC-MOMENTUM (DigiAcuaSOS; MMT24-IATS-01-01) postdoctoral contract, funded by the MRR–Next Generation EU, within the framework of the General Call of the public business entity Red.es to participate in talent attraction and retention programs under Investment 4 of Component 19 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). Federico Moroni was funded by the Generalitat Valenciana through the postdoctoral programme APOSTD (Grant CIAPOS/2024/092), co-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+).
Start Page: 1003936

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