The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of extruded or pelletized diets on the condition factor, body composition and fatty acid composition of Piaractus mesopotamicus. Eight isoproteic diets (220 g·kg-1 digestible protein) were supplied for 90 days ad libtum. The following parameters were evaluated: condition factor, body composition, and fatty acid composition. The condition factor showed different responses according to the type of processing. The body composition of the fish submitted to different diets showed no statistical difference. The pellet diets with 40% carbohydrate consistently showed the highest ratio compared to n3/n6 extruded diets. The fatty acid composition of the fillet showed an interaction of carbohydrate, lipids and processing. The increase in carbohydrate in the extruded diets produced Piaractus mesopotamicus with higher levels of omega-3.
diet processing; fatty acid composition; Piaractus mesopotamicus