Effect of proline‐enriched abalone feed on selected metabolite levels of slow‐growing adult Haliotis midae.

Abalone is currently considered South Africa's most successfully produced aquaculture export product, with a 76% share of the total value generated by the aquaculture sector. A major risk factor for this sector is slow growth rates experienced during farming. Abalone feeds are often supplemented with amino acids in an attempt to enhance abalone growth. This is a first investigation of the effect of added proline to standard abalone feed, on the metabolite profile of slow‐growing abalone. A targeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics research approach was followed to recognise the metabolic response of abalone showing slower growth performance. The addition of proline to the standard abalone diet was found to serve as a substrate for amino acid catabolism in slower growing abalone, by means of proline breakdown to assist with energy production via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Other amino acids and urea cycle intermediates, that is, arginine, asparagine, ornithine and creatine further support energy production via the action of protein catabolism in slow‐growing abalone. Additionally, the importance of understanding how abalone respond metabolically to modified feed highlights the use of metabolomics to answer abalone aquaculture farming questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]