Utilization of date seed meal in the diet of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei): growth performance, body and fatty acid composition, biochemical parameters, and tolerance of salinity stress

Current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of date seed meal (DSM) in the diet of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). Shrimp were fed on diets containing different amounts of DSM including 0, 50, 100, 150, and 230 g/kg for a period of 8 weeks. Growth parameters and body proximate composition showed no significant differences among treatments (p > 0.05). Similarly, no notable differences were observed in hemolymph biochemical parameters in shrimp fed with different amounts of DSM compared with the control group (p > 0.05). The contents of whole body polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and total n-3 in P. vannamei fed diet containing 100 g/kg DSM were significantly greater than control treatment (p < 0.05). The survival of shrimp fed diets with different amounts of DSM exhibited no significant differences when exposed to high and low salinity stress (55 and 8 g/L, respectively) (p > 0.05). Altogether, the results of this study showed that DSM could be utilized as a cheapest source of carbohydrate in the shrimp diet without depressive effects on its performance.