The final results of the AquaLegumes research project were presented at the Royal Hotel in Athens on the 14th of December 2023. The programme was financed by local and European funds and coordinated by the Laboratory of Applied Fish Nutrition of the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC) of HCMR, in collaboration with the University of Thessaly, Department of Agriculture, Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, the Agricultural University of Athens and the private consulting company NAYS.
The project developed new knowledge on the use of exogenous enzymes and solid-state fermentation to upgrade the nutritional quality of forage legumes cultivated in Greece. The project aimed to reduce the incorporation of soybean meal, which is mostly imported, in the formulation of diets for Mediterranean marine species, and additionally to promote two economically and socially important primary production sectors in Greece: namely agriculture and aquaculture.
The produced legume products were evaluated for their nutritional value as a replacement of soybean meal in the nutrition, health and quality of the final product of cultured European seabass. The results of the feeding trials indicated that lupin (Lupinus albus) fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and lupin (Lupinus albus) treated with exogenous enzymes can partially and/or entirely replace soybean meal.
At the end of the project, an economic and technical study was conducted to assess the feasibility of a production unit for these biotechnologically processed raw materials.
