ABSTRACT
Classical aquafeed formulation includes a variety of ingredients, such as fishmeal or oilseed meals. Among all of them, antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, occupy a prominent place, since they are essential for fish survival and growth. Their incorporation protects fishes against oxidation. New strategies of the formulation are being carried out due to problems related to productivity and demand for fish products by the market. Fish meal and oil are being replaced by vegetable oils. This new line of the formulation is extrapolated to the antioxidant addition, which is being replaced by seaweeds and their compounds. A large number of macro- and micro-algae compounds with antioxidant properties are being found, such as sulfated polysaccharides, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds (e.g., flavonoids or phlorotannins). The growing interest in the marine environment along with the demand for natural ingredients might definitively introduce algae into aquafeed. On the other hand, antioxidants are also necessary to preserve aquafeeds from lipid oxidation. Thus, synthetic antioxidants such as BHA, BHT, and EQ have been used. However, their potential harmful effects led the industry to search for natural alternatives. The marine environment offers a huge amount of compounds with tested antioxidant properties that may be used in aquafeeds.
