A recent study has revealed that a high protein digest product, Palate+, produced by agri-tech company Maltento can improve immune system responses and lower mortality rate in rainbow trout. The high protein digest is produced from protein-rich black soldier fly larvae - one of the few insect species approved to be used as feed in aquaculture in the European Union.
The supplement was validated in a study conducted by the Cape Town-based marine surveyor company MariHealth Solutions, and took place at the Sanlei trout farm in Lesotho - the first African aquaculture business to obtain the prestigious Global Seafood Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices certification. The study compared the blood proteome profiles between two groups of fish; one fed a diet supplemented by Palate+, and the other fed a standard basal diet.
The fish fed on the experimental Palate+ diet exhibited stronger immune defense responses compared to those on the basal diet. According to Maltento, the boost in immunity is likely due to the presence of chitin and unique proteins in the supplement, which have been shown to stimulate the fish's immune system. The fish on the experimental diet also displayed lower mortality rates than expected.
“It is both very encouraging and interesting that C4 [the fish fed the experimental diet] showed such a notable upregulation of immune function pathways compared to C5 [control] where so many important variables regarding immune system comparison were kept the same: genetics, location of cages, water quality variables, and the infectious agent challenge would have been very similar,” said Dr B. Spolander, one of the researchers responsible for the study, in a press release.
The study recommended further research into the impressive results of the initial investigation. Dean Smorenburg, Maltento chief executive, commented on the results of the study, showing his excitement for the future of Maltento and its products.
“The ground-breaking insights of this initial study underscore the undeniable health benefits of Maltento’s product and demonstrate the advantages of an insect-based, sustainable, protein-rich feed for animals, where Maltento’s products have been proven to increase gut health, immune response and decrease mortality in fish,” he concluded.
