Protein quality of shrimp-waste meal

Protein quality of shrimp waste meal (SWM) was assessed in a balanced exper iment with rats. Thirty rats were randomly divided into 5 equal treatment g roups of 6 rats, kept in individual perforated perspex cages and fed 4 diff erent 10% protein diets consisting of (1) fish meal (FM), (2) SWM, (3) SWM + lysine + methionine, (4) SWM + methionine and (5) a nitrogen-free basal d iet. SWM was made up of (g kg(-1)): 394.0 crude protein, 123.0 crude fibre, 26.8 fat, 140.0 ash, 98.2 chitin, with 10.58 MJ/kg metabolizable energy. P rotein efficiency ratio, net protein retention and net protein utilization were best (P < 0.05) for rats on the FM diet, while amino acid supplementat ion improved these parameters for SWM. SWM reduced (P < 0.05) the relative weights of lungs, liver and intestine. Rats fed the SWM diet had lower (P < 0.05) plasma urea, protein and albumin, and supplementation of these diets with amino acids did not significantly improve these traits; Plasma Na+, K +, Cl- and HCO3- were increased (P < 0.05) in rats fed SWM. Plasma enzymes (GOT, GPT, GGT) increased (P < 0.05) with amino acid supplementation of SWM diets. The results showed that the protein quality of SWM is inferior to t hat of FM, but that supplemental methionine and lysine in SWM diets improve d the quality of the protein. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.