Anselmo Miranda-Baeza

From microbes to fish the next revolution in food production

Increasing global population and the consequent increase in demand for food are not a new story. Agroindustrial activities such as livestock help meet this demand. Aquaculture arose decades ago and revolutionized the agroindustrial activity as a significant food generator. However, like livestock, aquaculture is based on finite resources and has been accused of being unsustainable. Abandoning aquaculture is not an option considering the food, foreign exchange, and employment it generates, and therefore must be reinvented. Among the many alternatives suggested to make aquaculture more sustainable, microorganisms have been highlighted as a direct food source for cultured fish and crustaceans, a strategy that promises to revolutionize aquaculture by eliminating waste. Considering waste, as part of a cycle, it can increase stock densities and reduce emissions of contaminants and operational costs.

Proximate Composition of Bioflocs in Culture Systems Containing Hybrid Red Tilapia Fed Diets with Varying Levels of Vegetable Meal Inclusion

AbstractBiofloc culture systems, which are based on the development of microorganisms that recycle inorganic nutrients and organic matter, may contribute to the nutrition of some farmed species. Juvenile red tilapia (Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus × Mozambique Tilapia O. mossambicus) cultured in saltwater were fed pelleted diets in which 0, 33, 67, or 100% of the fish meal was substituted with a vegetable meal mix (corn, wheat, and sorghum meals). The proximate composition of the biofloc produced in the culture systems was evaluated. Four experimental diets and one control diet (isocaloric and isoproteic) were randomly assigned to 15 experimental tanks. Samples of biofloc were periodically collected to measure the total suspended solids, organic matter, and ash content and to determine the protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents. At the end of the study, variables describing red tilapia production were determined. The biofloc volume, total suspended solids, ash, and organic matter showed significant...

Studies on the bioremediation capacity of the adult black clam, Chione fluctifraga, of shrimp culture effluents

Resumen es: La almeja negra, Chione fluctifraga, puede ser utilizada para biorremediar efluentes de descarga en cultivos de camaron. Con este proposito se evaluo dur...

Biofloc Technology (BFT): A Tool for Water Quality Management in Aquaculture

Biofloc technology (BFT) is considered the new “blue revolution” in aquaculture. Such technique is based on in situ microorganism production which plays three major roles: (i) maintenance of water quality, by the uptake of nitrogen compounds generating in situ microbial protein; (ii) nutrition, increasing culture feasibility by reducing feed conversion ratio (FCR) and a decrease of feed costs; and (iii) competition with pathogens. The aggregates (bioflocs) are a rich protein-lipid natural source of food available in situ 24 hours per day due to a complex interaction between organic matter, physical substrate, and large range of microorganisms. This natural productivity plays an important role recycling nutrients and maintaining the water quality. The present chapter will discuss some insights of the role of microorganisms in BFT, main water quality parameters, the importance of the correct carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the culture media, its calculations, and different types, as well as metagenomics of microorganisms and future perspectives.

Navicula sp. Sulfated Polysaccharide Gels Induced by Fe(III): Rheology and Microstructure

A sulfated polysaccharide extracted from Navicula sp. presented a yield of 4.4 (% w/w dry biomass basis). Analysis of the polysaccharide using gas chromatography showed that this polysaccharide contained glucose (29%), galactose (21%), rhamnose (10%), xylose (5%) and mannose (4%). This polysaccharide presented an average molecular weight of 107 kDa. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed that the lyophilized Navicula sp. polysaccharide is an amorphous solid with particles of irregular shapes and sharp angles. The polysaccharide at 1% (w/v) solution in water formed gels in the presence of 0.4% (w/v) FeCl3, showing elastic and viscous moduli of 1 and 0.7 Pa, respectively. SEM analysis performed on the lyophilized gel showed a compact pore structure, with a pore size of approximately 150 nm. Very few studies on the gelation of sulfated polysaccharides using trivalent ions exist in the literature, and, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to describe the gelation of sulfated polysaccharides extracted from Navicula sp.