| Abstract: | The effect of six different binding agents (agar, sodium alginate, cassava starch, gelatin, wheat gluten and kelp meal) in two concentrations (30 g kg?1 and 50 g kg?1) were evaluated with respect to physical quality of Litopenaeus vannamei broodstock pelleted feed, after 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min of water immersion. The best treatments in terms of water stability, water absorption and protein leaching were obtained with sodium alginate and wheat gluten at 50 g kg?1. In a second experiment, the feed ingestion and diet digestibility with these two binders and their combination (1 : 1) were compared against a control diet containing 50 g kg?1 wheat flour. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the daily feed ingestion rate 2.39–3.33% of the biomass. The most representative values of apparent digestibility of protein (ADP) and apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) were achieved with diets containing wheat gluten and alginate + gluten mixture as binder. Based on these results, combinations with 50 g kg?1 wheat gluten is recommended as binder in pelleted feed for broodstock L. vannamei. |
