Dietary Chromium Effects on Aquatic Species Performance
Summary
Dietary chromium, typically provided in organic or inorganic forms, has emerged as a pivotal trace mineral in aquaculture nutrition through its capacity to modulate growth, metabolism and resilience in various aquatic taxa. Chromium influences protein and carbohydrate utilisation by enhancing insulin‐like signalling, which in turn supports elevated specific growth rates and improved feed conversion efficiencies. Supplementation has been shown to fortify antioxidant defence systems, reduce oxidative stress markers and bolster non‐specific immune responses, thereby contributing to disease resistance. Moreover, inclusion of chromium in practical diets can optimise mineral retention and reduce environmental discharge of unutilised nutrients. Interactions between chromium and digestive enzyme activities further underscore its role in nutrient assimilation, with consequences for body composition, organ health indices and overall performance. Globally, these effects bear significance for sustainable intensification of aquaculture, as enhanced growth and health translate into lower production costs, reduced reliance on veterinary interventions and diminished ecological impact.
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Dietary Chromium Effects on Aquatic Species Performance publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dietary chromium effects on aquatic species performance across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Trace mineral supplementation: Addition of micronutrients in small concentrations to feed to fulfil metabolic requirements.
Specific Growth Rate (SGR): The percentage increase in body weight per day, reflecting overall growth performance.
Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR): Mass of feed required to produce a unit increase in body mass, indicating feed utilisation efficiency.
Antioxidant capacity: The ability of an organism to neutralise reactive oxygen species and mitigate oxidative damage.
Digestive enzyme activity: Rate at which enzymes such as amylase, lipase or protease catalyse nutrient breakdown in the gut.
References
- Dietary Supplementation with Chromium DL‐Methionine Enhances Growth Performance of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Aquaculture Nutrition (2023).
- An investigation on dietary chromium picolinate supplementation in the juvenile sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: Growth, digestive enzyme activity, growth-related genes expression, immune and antioxidant capacity. Aquaculture Reports (2022).
- Apparent nutrient digestibility of carbohydrate (corn) in Cirrhinus mrigala under the influence of chromium chloride hexahydrate. Brazilian Journal of Biology (2020).
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