Nutrigenomics in Aquaculture Research

Abstract

Research on aquatic animal nutrition has demonstrated that the expression of related genes can be modified with different feeding components. From the nutrigenomics point of view, nutrients are feeding signals, which are detected by the cellular system of sensors and which influence the expression of genes and proteins and in consequence, the production of metabolites. Therefore, today, it is generally accepted that feeding components have a substantial impact in the expression of related genes, as well as in the welfare of reared aquatic animals. As fish have similar stress responses and sense of nociception to mammals, standards of fish welfare are rapidly emerging in the field of aquaculture. New fish welfare measures can dramatically improve farming outcomes, but a sustainable balance between implementation costs and their benefits must first be reached