Taurine supplementation enhances the replacement level of fishmeal by soybean concentrate in diets of juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Boone, 1931)

This study aimed to evaluate the effects with and without 1000 mg taurine supplement and five levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) of fishmeal (FM) replaced by soybean concentrate (SBC) in the diet on white shrimp. After 8‐weeks' feeding, the results showed that the taurine supplement significantly affected final weight (FW), weight gain (WG%), feed intake (FI%), glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase (GPT), triglyceride and cholesterol in plasma and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in haemocytes of white shrimp. There is no significant effect on growth performance, haemolymph parameters and immune responses up to 50% but significant effect at 75 and 100% FM replacement by SBC. Generally, the taurine concentration in plasma, whole body and muscle decreased with an increase of FM replacement in the diets, but they were not significantly affected by 1000 mg taurine supplement in diets. In conclusion, a dietary supplement of taurine at 1000 mg/kg diets significantly enhanced WG of white shrimp after the SBC replacing FM up to a higher than 50% level. FM can be replaced by SBC up to 50% without a significant negative effect on growth performance, haemolymph parameters and immune responses.