Chemistry/Biology Warm-upChemistry/Biology Warm-up

Dr. Craig KasperDr. Craig Kasper

Basic Elements*Basic Elements*ElementElement SymbolSymbol Common FormsCommon FormsCarbonCarbon CC CO, COCO, CO22, C, CnnHHnnOOnn, COOH, COOH

HydrogenHydrogen HH HH22, H, H220, 0,

OxygenOxygen OO OO22

NitrogenNitrogen NN NN22, NO, NO22, N0, N033, NH, NH33, NH, NH44++

PhosphorusPhosphorus PP POPO33--, PO, PO44

SulfurSulfur SS S, HSS, HS--

*Keeping a periodic table of the elements around isn’t a bad idea.*Keeping a periodic table of the elements around isn’t a bad idea.

Everyday Nutrition TermsEveryday Nutrition Terms• NutritionNutrition• Feed Conversion Ratio/Feed Feed Conversion Ratio/Feed

Efficiency (FCR/FE)Efficiency (FCR/FE)• Protein SynthesisProtein Synthesis• Protein TurnoverProtein Turnover• EnergyEnergy• Nutrient vs. Non-nutrientNutrient vs. Non-nutrient• Feed rate (fixed vs. satiation)Feed rate (fixed vs. satiation)• Pelleted vs. Extruded DietsPelleted vs. Extruded Diets• Heat (loss)Heat (loss)• Fecal Fecal • Composition of Gain (protein vs. Composition of Gain (protein vs.

fat)fat)• CalorieCalorie• Growth Growth • MaintenanceMaintenance

• Protein Protein • Lipid (fat) Lipid (fat) • CarbohydrateCarbohydrate• CholesterolCholesterol• VitaminVitamin• MineralMineral• Amino acidAmino acid• Fatty acidFatty acid• RequirementRequirement• Essential vs. non-essentialEssential vs. non-essential• DigestionDigestion• MetabolismMetabolism• Feed formulationFeed formulation• Feed rationFeed ration

Everyday Biology TermsEveryday Biology Terms

• Poikilothermy (-ic)Poikilothermy (-ic)

• TemperatureTemperature

• DensityDensity

• AmmoniotelicAmmoniotelic

• Teleost Teleost

Think Like A FISH!!Think Like A FISH!!

• Several factors make fish nutrition more Several factors make fish nutrition more challenging (and exciting) than that of challenging (and exciting) than that of terrestrial nutrition.terrestrial nutrition.

• You must think like a fish, understand it’s You must think like a fish, understand it’s evironment and understand basic nutrition evironment and understand basic nutrition before you will be able to maximize your before you will be able to maximize your fish growth or reproductive performance.fish growth or reproductive performance.

ZoologicalZoological

• Oddity: >40,000 species of fish exist Oddity: >40,000 species of fish exist (Compared to 167 species of chicken, or a (Compared to 167 species of chicken, or a dozen, or so cows and pigs, this means dozen, or so cows and pigs, this means much more potential work). much more potential work).

• Result: Large interspecific diversity.Result: Large interspecific diversity.

Variability of requirements.Variability of requirements.

BiologicalBiological

• Oddity: a. Larval StagesOddity: a. Larval Stages

b. Continuous growthb. Continuous growth

c. Potential absence of stomach c. Potential absence of stomach

• Result: a. Unknown factorsResult: a. Unknown factors

b. Age-specific nutrient needsb. Age-specific nutrient needs

c. Unique digestive processesc. Unique digestive processes

EcologicalEcological

• Oddity: Low average body temperature.Oddity: Low average body temperature.

• Result: Limited gut bacterial action? Result: Limited gut bacterial action?

Difficulty maintaining membrane fluidity.Difficulty maintaining membrane fluidity.

Unique requirement for certain fatty acids.Unique requirement for certain fatty acids.

EcologicalEcological• Oddity: Highly dense environment AND low oxygen Oddity: Highly dense environment AND low oxygen availability.availability.

• Result: -Need for considerable ventilation.Result: -Need for considerable ventilation. -Frequent use of anaerobiosis, hypertrophy of-Frequent use of anaerobiosis, hypertrophy of

white muscle.* white muscle.* -Large amount of protein needed for synthesis of-Large amount of protein needed for synthesis of

this material.this material. -Reduced importance of skeleton-Reduced importance of skeleton -Low requirements for Calcium and Phosphorus-Low requirements for Calcium and Phosphorus

(*REM: glycolytic=low oxygen)(*REM: glycolytic=low oxygen)

EcologicalEcological

• Oddity: Environment rich in certain elements! Oddity: Environment rich in certain elements! • Result: Supply of some nutrients directly fromResult: Supply of some nutrients directly from

environment.environment.

• Oddity: Unique aquatic food chains (carnivoresOddity: Unique aquatic food chains (carnivores

dominate).dominate).• Result: Different efficiencies of energy sources Result: Different efficiencies of energy sources

(much protein catabolism and limted carb. use.)(much protein catabolism and limted carb. use.)

EcologicalEcological

• Oddity: Abundance of polyunsaturated fatty Oddity: Abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. acids.

• Result: Loss of bioconversion ability.Result: Loss of bioconversion ability.

Fish Nutrition HistoryFish Nutrition History

Dr. Craig KasperDr. Craig Kasper

FAS 2240CFAS 2240C

What is fish nutrition?What is fish nutrition?

““Nutrition is the process by which an Nutrition is the process by which an organism ingests, assimilates and utilizesorganism ingests, assimilates and utilizes various nutrients and converts them intovarious nutrients and converts them into body tissues and/or activities.”body tissues and/or activities.”

– –Robinson et al. 2001Robinson et al. 2001

What is Nutrition?What is Nutrition?

• NutritionNutrition:: the provision of all indispensable the provision of all indispensable nutrients in adequate amounts to insure proper nutrients in adequate amounts to insure proper growth and maintenance of body functionsgrowth and maintenance of body functions

• involves various chemical reactions and involves various chemical reactions and physiological transformations which convert foods physiological transformations which convert foods into body tissues and activitiesinto body tissues and activities

• involves ingestion, digestion and absorption of involves ingestion, digestion and absorption of various nutrientsvarious nutrients

• transport into cellstransport into cells• removal of unusable elements and waste products of removal of unusable elements and waste products of

metabolismmetabolism

History of Nutrition IHistory of Nutrition I

• LavoisierLavoisier is generally credited as being the “father” of nutrition is generally credited as being the “father” of nutrition

• until the first quarter of 19th Century, we thought the nutritive until the first quarter of 19th Century, we thought the nutritive value of food resided only in one componentvalue of food resided only in one component

• near the end of the 19th Century research started to focus near the end of the 19th Century research started to focus primarily on the need for protein, lipids and carbohydratesprimarily on the need for protein, lipids and carbohydrates

• minerals were considered important, but their essentiality was minerals were considered important, but their essentiality was unknownunknown

History of Nutrition IIHistory of Nutrition II

• Great expansion in 20th Century nutrition with the Great expansion in 20th Century nutrition with the discovery of vitamins, role of amino acids, more discovery of vitamins, role of amino acids, more mineralsminerals

• Your body needs >40 nutrients for normal growth and Your body needs >40 nutrients for normal growth and maintenance (fish may be even more.)maintenance (fish may be even more.)

• Why all the attention??? Human health/problems.Why all the attention??? Human health/problems.

• Basic studies of the functioning of the animal organism Basic studies of the functioning of the animal organism supplemented researchsupplemented research

History of Nutrition IIIHistory of Nutrition III

• Example of historical nutritional research:Example of historical nutritional research:• heifers fed wheat-based diets produced calves at heifers fed wheat-based diets produced calves at

lower rates than those fed corn dietslower rates than those fed corn diets• assumptionassumption: something toxic in wheat: something toxic in wheat• analysisanalysis: nothing toxic in tissues: nothing toxic in tissues• realityreality: vitamin deficiency: vitamin deficiency• scientific methods for formulating feeds were scientific methods for formulating feeds were

inadequateinadequate• research diets eventually simplified/purifiedresearch diets eventually simplified/purified

History of Nutrition IVHistory of Nutrition IV

• First vitamin discovered in 1913First vitamin discovered in 1913• pioneer nutritional work achieved primarily through the pioneer nutritional work achieved primarily through the

use of animal subjectsuse of animal subjects• same today, but with restrictionssame today, but with restrictions• rats rats vitamins, amino acids, minerals vitamins, amino acids, minerals• dogs dogs insulin, nicotinic acid insulin, nicotinic acid• guinea pigs guinea pigs prevention of scurvy prevention of scurvy• chicks chicks thiamin and other vitamins thiamin and other vitamins• bacteria bacteria growth factors, nutrient function in growth factors, nutrient function in

metabolismmetabolism• final answers must be derived from species studiedfinal answers must be derived from species studied

Nutrition TodayNutrition Today

Animal nutrition today is multidisciplinary:Animal nutrition today is multidisciplinary:• metabolism: physiologists, biochemistsmetabolism: physiologists, biochemists• vitamins: organic chemistsvitamins: organic chemists• isotopes/chromatography: physicistsisotopes/chromatography: physicists• protein structure: molecular biochemistsprotein structure: molecular biochemists• breed variation: geneticistsbreed variation: geneticists• vitamins/amino acids: microbiologistsvitamins/amino acids: microbiologists• additives/improved digestibility: food technologistsadditives/improved digestibility: food technologists

Issue: OverexpansionIssue: Overexpansion

• Everyone now-a-days appears to be an expert in Everyone now-a-days appears to be an expert in nutritionnutrition

• infomercials, algae, diet fadsinfomercials, algae, diet fads• claims of superiority without scientific evidence (science claims of superiority without scientific evidence (science

vs. pseudoscience)vs. pseudoscience)• example: massive doses of vitamins are useless, often example: massive doses of vitamins are useless, often

toxictoxic• nutrition industry might need to become more nutrition industry might need to become more

conservativeconservative• it’s no wonder why the average consumer is puzzled!!it’s no wonder why the average consumer is puzzled!!

Nutrient EssentialityNutrient Essentiality

• essential nutrientessential nutrient: one that must be provided in the diet : one that must be provided in the diet in order to insure adequate growth and maintenance, in order to insure adequate growth and maintenance, indispensableindispensable

• Nutrient categories: Nutrient categories: macromacro and and micromicro• macronutrientsmacronutrients: protein, lipid, carbohydrate, etc.: protein, lipid, carbohydrate, etc.• micronutrientsmicronutrients: trace metals, vitamins: trace metals, vitamins• important: molecular weight is not the basis, important: molecular weight is not the basis,

requirement level isrequirement level is• proteins: g/kg vitamins: µg/kgproteins: g/kg vitamins: µg/kg• large requirement doesn’t imply greater importance large requirement doesn’t imply greater importance

(example: Se in sheep 0.1 mg/day)(example: Se in sheep 0.1 mg/day)

Basic Nutritional ConceptsBasic Nutritional Concepts

• Animal nutrition is tied back to food crops and ultimately Animal nutrition is tied back to food crops and ultimately to the nutritive value of soil to the nutritive value of soil

• strong interrelationship between human and animal strong interrelationship between human and animal nutritionnutrition

• foods/feeds of both contain similar nutrientsfoods/feeds of both contain similar nutrients• metabolic processes are basically similarmetabolic processes are basically similar• nutritional niche of animals: animals concentrate nutritional niche of animals: animals concentrate

nutrients of food crops into more nutritious and palatable nutrients of food crops into more nutritious and palatable forms for humansforms for humans

• pointpoint:: animals take sources unsuitable for humans animals take sources unsuitable for humans and improve their quality for us!and improve their quality for us!

Animals as Primary ConsumersAnimals as Primary Consumers

• Animals produce meat, milk, etc. on land that is often Animals produce meat, milk, etc. on land that is often unsuitable for production of food cropsunsuitable for production of food crops

• problemproblem: overall land availability vs. protein demand: overall land availability vs. protein demand

• fisheries flat, agriculture barely keeping upfisheries flat, agriculture barely keeping up

• nutrition has greatly improved production capacity, however nutrition has greatly improved production capacity, however it is not going to be enoughit is not going to be enough

What Does it All Mean?What Does it All Mean?

• If agriculture is barely keeping up with world food If agriculture is barely keeping up with world food demand and…demand and…

• Fisheries are being improperly managed to the point Fisheries are being improperly managed to the point of steady state…of steady state…

• Either we must quickly apply Iowa corn field Either we must quickly apply Iowa corn field technology to all aerable land on Earth, or food must technology to all aerable land on Earth, or food must be found from other sources! (Roaches??)be found from other sources! (Roaches??)

• One possible option is One possible option is aquacultureaquaculture..

Current Challenges/ProblemsCurrent Challenges/Problems

• For aquaculture to contribute more to the world’s food For aquaculture to contribute more to the world’s food supply, production must be intensifiedsupply, production must be intensified

• higher yieldshigher yields must be achieved in ponds must be achieved in ponds• better and more predictable natural sources of nutrition better and more predictable natural sources of nutrition

(natural productivity) must be available (too (natural productivity) must be available (too unpredictable)unpredictable)

• more crude feed materials used as supplements or… more crude feed materials used as supplements or… • compounded feeds must provide all nutrientscompounded feeds must provide all nutrients• retention vs. digestibility: Which is best metric?retention vs. digestibility: Which is best metric?

Next Time…Next Time…

• Quiz 1: TerminologyQuiz 1: Terminology

• Topic 2:Topic 2: Fish Behavior, Feed Intake, Fish Behavior, Feed Intake, Environmental Factors (Why are aquatics Environmental Factors (Why are aquatics different than terrestrials?) different than terrestrials?)