Feed Composition and Antibiotic Supplements Modulate Digestive Enzyme Activities and Alter Gut Microbiome of Pacific White Shrimp

Authors

Barcan, A. S., Hughes, E., Kortner, T. M., Robertson, B., Humble, J. L., llewellyn, M.

Abstract

The transition from fishmeal to sustainable alternatives in aquaculture is essential, however the physiological and microbial impacts of alternative diets in shrimp remain poorly understood. Here, we examine how substituting fishmeal with plant-based proteins such as guar and soybean meals, the inclusion of feather meal, and the use of a commonly used antibiotic (gentamicin) influence digestive enzyme function, protein digestibility, and gut microbial assemblages in Litopenaeus vannamei (Pacific white shrimp). The guar-based diet notably altered gut microbiota composition and decreased leucine aminopeptidase activity while maintaining high protein digestibility (>90%). In contrast, the soya/feather diet caused greater disruption to enzyme activity and microbial communities, resulting in reduced digestibility (~75%). The gent/guar diet showed comparable digestibility and microbial stability to the guar diet, with only minor shifts at the genus level. Although digestibility data for the acclimation diet were unavailable, these findings highlight diet-specific physiological and microbial responses to fishmeal substitutes. This emphasizes the need to consider dietary formulation, digestive function, and microbiome dynamics when developing sustainable aquafeeds for shrimp farming.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 08 Jan 2026.

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