Abstract
A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of including pumpkin seeds and pomace in the diets of Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, and the effects of these supplements on growth performance, body composition, and total polyphenol, flavonoid and carotenoid contents, as well as on total antioxidant activity, and body color parameters. Five diets were evaluated: pumpkin seeds (PS) at 50 and 100 g·kg(-1), pumpkin pomace (PP) at 50 and 100 g·kg(-1), and a control treatment. Pacific white shrimp (P. vannamei) juveniles (0.60 ± 0.01 g) were stocked in 15 tanks (310 L), containing 30 shrimps per tank, and the treatments were randomly distributed in triplicate. At the end of the experiment, shrimps were euthanized, weighed, and dissected for further analyses. The inclusion of PS in the diets impaired growth performance, reduced the total flavonoid content and had a pro-oxidative effect on muscle. The inclusion of PP in the diets did not affect growth performance, improved the feed conversion ratio, increased the total flavonoid content in the diets and hepatopancreas, and improved the antioxidant activity of the feeds and shrimp muscle. The total carotenoid content of the feeds increased with the inclusion of PS or PP in the diets; however, the total carotenoid content of shrimp increased only in those fed PP diets. Shrimp fed with PS diets showed a yellowish color and higher saturation when fresh and a reddish color and yellow hue angle after cooking. Shrimp fed PP diets turned reddish and yellowish, both when fresh and after cooking. The inclusion of PS in P. vannamei diets is not recommended; however, PP can be included at 100 g·kg(-1) without affecting the growth parameters. Further studies evaluating the inclusion of higher PP levels in shrimp diets are recommended.