Rotifer nutrition and enrichment

Bio-encapsulation of Rotifers

Rotifers will take up almost all particulate material as long as it has the proper size range. Similarly, lipophylic compounds can be incorporated into emulsions and water-soluble components into liposomes or microcapsules and in this way enriched or “bio-encapsulated” into the Rotifera.

Enrichment for nutrition

Using this bio-encapsulation technique all kinds of nutrients such as lipids, fatty acids, peptides, vitamins, pigments, … can be incorporated into rotifers to be fed to the shrimp or fish larvae. The effect of this enriched life feed can then be assessed.

Enrichment for disease control

Similarly as for nutritional purposes, different prophylactic or therapeutic agents, such as probiotics, immunostimulants, vaccines, antimicrobial peptides, etc. can be uploaded in the live feed Rotifera and transferred to the shrimp or fish larvae.

Rotifer strains

Our laboratory has several rotifer strains available which differ in size and ideal living conditions (salinity, temperature). 

Components to test

Possible test products can be:

• Micro-particulate diets
• Purified compounds
• Enrichment products (including unicellular algae and yeasts)
• Bacterial strains

Possibilities for testing

Study enrichment kinetics of your product in Rotifera

In a first step, for new products, the enrichment efficiency of the product in Rotifera needs to be studied. Here the proper delivery strategy (e.g. emulsion), enrichment dose, enrichment period and conditions are determined to obtain optimal enrichment (fatty acid content/composition) levels.

Toxicity tests of chemical products with bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal effects

Chemical products  with bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal effects are added to the water in which the rotifers live. The efficiency of these products can be tested.