R. Adharyan Islamy, Diana Aisyah, Ayu Winna Ramadhani, Abdul Raheem Faqih, Naufal Fadhilah, Sulung Ilham Maulana Abduh, Avifah Trialvina Nur Azizah, Nurul Mutmainnah, Fitri Sil Valen, Ahmad Syazni Kamarudin, Veryl Hasan
Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) is a widely distributed invasive aquatic plant with relatively high protein content, yet it remains largely underutilized for value-added applications. This study evaluated the feasibility of converting A. philoxeroides biomass into dried protein curd and its potential use as a sustainable aquaculture feed ingredient. Fresh plant material was processed through grinding, filtration, starch sedimentation, thermal treatment, acid coagulation, and spray drying to obtain protein curd. The resulting product was analyzed for proximate composition, essential amino acid (EAA) profile, and antioxidant activity. Four isonitrogenous diets containing 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% dried protein curd were formulated and fed to juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under controlled conditions. Protein curd production significantly increased crude protein content from 22.6% in raw leaves to 34.8% in the dried protein curd, while also improving the EAA profile, particularly lysine, leucine, and valine. The dried protein curd exhibited moderate antioxidant activity, with DPPH radical scavenging activity of 41.6% and an IC50 value of 2.18 mg mL-1. Fish fed diets containing 20% protein curd showed the best growth performance, achieving the highest final weight (21.2 g), specific growth rate (2.66% day-1), and the lowest feed conversion ratio (1.41). Overall, these findings demonstrate a viable strategy for converting invasive plant biomass into high-value aquafeed ingredients while supporting the development of more sustainable and diversified protein sources for aquaculture. ©2026 The authors.
Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Aquaculture (Kediri City Kampus), Brawijaya University, Kediri, 64111, Indonesia; Center for Algae and Environment, Brawijaya University, Malang City, 65145, Indonesia; Faculty of Agriculture, Fisheries and Biology, Bangka Belitung University, UBB Integrated Campus, Bangka, 33172, Indonesia; School of Animal Science, Aquatic Science and Environment, Besut Campus, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut, 22200, Malaysia; Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60113, Indonesia; Research Group of Environmental and Fisheries Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60113, Indonesia
