Effects of Portulaca oleracea whole diet on pigments and fatty acids profiles of juvenile red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852) under laboratory conditions

A 10-week feeding trial was carried out to emphasize the effects of purslane weed (Portulaca oleracea) whole diet on pigmentation and fatty acids profile of juvenile freshwater red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Purslane weed is an annual succulent herb easily found in tropical and temperate regions showing a high-quality PUFA profile and carotenoid content. Crayfish fed with P. oleracea were compared with two groups fed with aquatic macrophytes control diets. At the end of the experiment, each group showed a distinct fatty acid composition, with crayfish feeding P. oleracea that exhibited significantly higher n-3 PUFA content (1.01 mg x 100 g(-1)) and total carotenoids (mainly astaxanthin) concentration (72.2 mg x kg(-1)). In natural conditions, plants are not used as primary foodstuff by crayfish, but in extensive and semi-intensive aquaculture, they could bring supplementary nutrition benefits to crayfish without affecting growth performance. P. oleracea could represent a promising ingredient in crayfish diets, or in new artificial feeds, given its added values in terms of carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results of this study might encourage further research aimed at defining the optimal percentages of P. oleracea inclusion in sustainable crayfish diets.