Exploring the Applications of Lemna minor in Animal Feed: A Review Assisted by Artificial Intelligence
Source abstract
Abstract
The work aims to apply cheap and widely accessible tools based on artificial intelligence to analyze, group, and categorize a large amount of available research literature (from a massive bibliographic search) on the use of Lemna minor for animal feed, not only comprehensively and objectively, but also in a more effective and less time-consuming way. In addition, a comprehensive and critical summary was conducted to highlight recent applications of L. minor in animal feed. The Scopus database was used for the original bibliographic search. Then, a newly developed online and freely available tool called “Jupyter Notebook on Google Colab” was applied to cluster the large volume of bibliographic data (1432 papers) obtained in the basic search, which allowed their reduction until only 148 papers. These papers were reviewed in a traditional way obtaining relevant information about L. minor production, nutritional value, composition, and its application as animal feed. In this sense, the most successful applications were for fish and poultry feeding, reaching levels of inclusion of 15–20% in fish and 5–15% in poultry. It is of great interest because of the expected increase in prices of conventional sources of protein for animal feed.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Santo Domingo 10105, Dominican Republic
Departamento de Investigaciones, Universidad Nacional Evangélica (UNEV), Santo Domingo 10203, Dominican Republic
Agri-Food and Agri-Environmental Research and Innovation Institute, Miguel Hernández University (CIAGRO-UMH), 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Statistics and Operative Research Department, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche, Spain
References (69)
Show source-provided references
1. (2025, January 23). United Nations Population. Available online: https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population.
2. Chakrabarti, R., Clark, W.D., Sharma, J.G., Goswami, R.K., Shrivastav, A.K., and Tocher, D.R. (2018). Mass Production of Lemna minor and Its Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Profiles. Front. Chem., 6.10.3389/fchem.2018.00479 ↗
3. Fiordelmondo, E., Ceschin, S., Magi, G.E., Mariotti, F., Iaffaldano, N., Galosi, L., and Roncarati, A. (2022). Effects of Partial Substitution of Conventional Protein Sources with Duckweed (Lemna minor) Meal in the Feeding of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on Growth Performances and the Quality Product. Plants, 11.10.3390/plants11091220 ↗
4. A Review of Using Duckweed (Lemnaceae) in Fish Feeds10.1111/raq.12892 ↗
5. Crepin, L., and Nedoncelle, L. (2025, January 23). Foreign Demand, Soy Exports, and Deforestation. Evidence and Implications for Deforestation. Working Papers hal-04312450, HAL 2024. Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-04312450. Available online: https://www.stata.com/meeting/france24/slides/France24_Crepin.pdf.
6. Effect of Different Fertilizers on the Growth of Duckweed (Lemna minor) as Aquatic Plant Resources Utilization in Sustaining Red Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Culture10.1051/e3sconf/202447903001 ↗
7. Demann, J., Petersen, F., Dusel, G., Bog, M., Devlamynck, R., Ulbrich, A., Olfs, H.-W., and Westendarp, H. (2022). Nutritional Value of Duckweed as Protein Feed for Broiler Chickens—Digestibility of Crude Protein, Amino Acids and Phosphorus. Animals, 13.10.3390/ani13010130 ↗
8. Ullah, H., Gul, B., Khan, H., Akhtar, N., Rehman, K.U., and Zeb, U. (2022). Effect of Growth Medium Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Nutritional Composition of Lemna Minor (an Alternative Fish and Poultry Feed). BMC Plant Biol., 22.10.1186/s12870-022-03600-1 ↗
9. Mirón-Mérida, V.A., Soria-Hernández, C., Richards-Chávez, A., Ochoa-García, J.C., Rodríguez-López, J.L., and Chuck-Hernández, C. (2024). The Effect of Ultrasound on the Extraction and Functionality of Proteins from Duckweed (Lemna minor). Molecules, 29.10.3390/molecules29051122 ↗
10. Zhou, Y., Stepanenko, A., Kishchenko, O., Xu, J., and Borisjuk, N. (2023). Duckweeds for Phytoremediation of Polluted Water. Plants, 12.10.3390/plants12030589 ↗
11. Krzywonos, M., Romanowska-Duda, Z., Seruga, P., Messyasz, B., and Mec, S. (2023). The Use of Plants from the Lemnaceae Family for Biofuel Production—A Bibliometric and In-Depth Content Analysis. Energies, 16.10.3390/en16042058 ↗
12. The Effects of Replacing Wheat and Soyabean Meal with Duckweed (Lemna minor) and Including Enzymes in the Diet of Laying Hens on the Yield and Quality of Eggs, Biochemical Parameters, and Their Antioxidant Status10.1111/asj.13888 ↗
13. Performance of Pacu (Colossoma Macropomum) Fed Varying Dietary Inclusion Levels of Fish Visceral and Duckweed (Lemna minor) as Replacement for Fish and Soybean Meals
14. Effect of Inclusion of Different Levels of Duckweed (Lemna minor) on the Performance of Broiler Chicken
15. Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) as a Natural-Based Solution Completely Offsets the Increase in Ammonia Volatilization Induced by Soil Drying and Wetting Cycles in Irrigated Paddies10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177789 ↗
16. Alleviation of Aqueous Nitrogen Loss from Paddy Fields by Growth and Decomposition of Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) after Fertilization10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137073 ↗
17. Van Hoeck, A., Horemans, N., Monsieurs, P., Cao, H.X., Vandenhove, H., and Blust, R. (2015). The First Draft Genome of the Aquatic Model Plant Lemna Minor Opens the Route for Future Stress Physiology Research and Biotechnological Applications. Biotechnol. Biofuels, 8.10.1186/s13068-015-0381-1 ↗
18. Seferli, M., Kotanidou, C., Lefkaki, M., Adamantidi, T., Panoutsopoulou, E., Finos, M.A., Krey, G., Kamidis, N., Stamatis, N., and Anastasiadou, C. (2024). Bioactives of the Freshwater Aquatic Plants, Nelumbo Nucifera and Lemna Minor, for Functional Foods, Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical Applications, with Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Antithrombotic Health Promoting Properties. Appl. Sci., 14.10.3390/app14156634 ↗
19. Fernández-López, J., Borrás-Rocher, F., Viuda-Martos, M., and Pérez-Álvarez, J.Á. (2024). Using Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools to Improve the Literature Review Process: Pilot Test with the Topic “Hybrid Meat Products”. Informatics, 11.10.3390/informatics11040072 ↗
20. Cierco Jimenez, R., Lee, T., Rosillo, N., Cordova, R., Cree, I.A., Gonzalez, A., and Indave Ruiz, B.I. (2022). Machine Learning Computational Tools to Assist the Performance of Systematic Reviews: A Mapping Review. BMC Med. Res. Methodol., 22.10.1186/s12874-022-01805-4 ↗
21. Artificial Intelligence and the Conduct of Literature Reviews10.1177/02683962211048201 ↗
22. Álvarez-Martínez, F.J., Borrás-Rocher, F., Micol, V., and Barrajón-Catalán, E. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Applied to Improve Scientific Reviews: The Antibacterial Activity of Cistus Plants as Proof of Concept. Antibiotics, 12.10.3390/antibiotics12020327 ↗
23. K-Means Clustering Algorithms: A Comprehensive Review, Variants Analysis, and Advances in the Era of Big Data10.1016/j.ins.2022.11.139 ↗
24. Integration K-Means Clustering Method and Elbow Method For Identification of The Best Customer Profile Cluster10.1088/1757-899X/336/1/012017 ↗
25. Binning-Based Silhouette Approach to Find the Optimal Cluster Using K-Means10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3215568 ↗
26. Achoki, J., Orina, P., Kaingu, C., Oduma, J., Olale, K., Chepkirui, M., and Getabu, A. (2024). Comparative Study on Fatty Acids Composition of Lemna minor (Duckweed) Cultured in Indoor Plastic Tanks and Outdoor Earthen Ponds. Aquac. Res., 5563513.10.1155/2024/5563513 ↗
27. Petersen, F., Demann, J., Restemeyer, D., Ulbrich, A., Olfs, H.-W., Westendarp, H., and Appenroth, K.-J. (2021). Influence of the Nitrate-N to Ammonium-N Ratio on Relative Growth Rate and Crude Protein Content in the Duckweeds Lemna minor and Wolffiella hyalina. Plants, 10.10.3390/plants10081741 ↗
28. A Novel Multitrophic Concept for the Cultivation of Fish and Duckweed: A Technical Note10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132881 ↗
29. Nutrient Uptakes and Biochemical Composition of Lemna minor in Brackish Water10.1111/are.14693 ↗
30. Effect of Salt Stress on Proximate Composition of Duckweed (Lemna minor L.)10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07399 ↗
31. The Effect of Light-Emitting Diodes (LDEs) on the Development of Duckweed (Lemna minor) in Co-Culture with Red Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)
32. Devlamynck, R., de Souza, M.F., Leenknegt, J., Jacxsens, L., Eeckhout, M., and Meers, E. (2021). Lemna minor Cultivation for Treating Swine Manure and Providing Micronutrients for Animal Feed. Plants, 10.10.3390/plants10061124 ↗
33. Duckweed Production on Diluted Chicken Manure10.22358/jafs/169431/2023 ↗
34. Trophic Transfer of Cd from Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) to Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)10.1002/etc.4076 ↗
35. Devlamynck, R., de Souza, M.F., Michels, E., Sigurnjak, I., Donoso, N., Coudron, C., Leenknegt, J., Vermeir, P., Eeckhout, M., and Meers, E. (2021). Agronomic and Environmental Performance of Lemnaminor Cultivated on Agricultural Wastewater Streams—A Practical Approach. Sustainability, 13.10.3390/su13031570 ↗
36. Impact of PH on the Growth and Nutritional Profile of Lemna minor L. as a Sustainable Alternative for Pakistan’s Feed Sector10.1007/s10499-023-01063-1 ↗
37. Effectiveness Duckweed (Lemna minor) as an Alternative Native Chicken Feed Native Chicken (Gallus domesticus)10.1088/1755-1315/122/1/012124 ↗
38. The Effect of Fermented Duckweed (Lemna minor) in Feed on Growth and Nutritional Quality of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)10.13057/biodiv/d210759 ↗
39. Use of Duckweed (Lemna minor) Harvested from IRAS as a Partial Replacement for Fishmeal Proteins in Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) Diets
40. Growth and Digestive Enzyme Activities of Rohu Labeo Rohita Fed Diets Containing Macrophytes and Almond Oil-Cake10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114456 ↗
41. Safety of Lemna minor and Lemna gibba Whole Plant Material as a Novel Food Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
42. Irabor, A.E., Adeleke, L.M., Pierre, H.J., and Nwachi, F.O. (2022). Performance of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with Giant Freshwater Prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Fed Diets with Duckweed (Lemna minor) and Fish Waste Meal as Replacement for Conventional Protein Sources. Livest. Res. Rural. Dev., 34, Available online: http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd34/8/3473irab.html.
43. Processing Techniques on Phytochemical Content, Proximate Composition, and Toxic Components in Duckweed
44. Duckweed (Lemnaceae) for Potentially Nutritious Human Food: A Review10.1080/87559129.2021.2012800 ↗
45. Inclusion of Duckweed (Lemna minor) in the Diet Improves Flesh Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Profiles but Not the Growth of Farmed Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115442 ↗
46. Lenteja de agua (Lemna minor): Potencial alimentario y ambiental10.22319/rmcp.v15i2.6107 ↗
47. Sosa, D., Alves, F.M., Prieto, M.A., Pedrosa, M.C., Heleno, S.A., Barros, L., Feliciano, M., and Carocho, M. (2024). Lemna Minor: Unlocking the Value of This Duckweed for the Food and Feed Industry. Foods, 13.10.3390/foods13101435 ↗
48. New Biological Dietary Feed Supplement for Laying Hens with Microelements Based on Duckweed (Lemna minor)
49. Chemical Composition and In Vitro Protein Digestibility of Duckweed and Feed Ingredients10.48048/tis.2024.8324 ↗
50. Comparing the Chemical Composition of Lesser Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) Grown in Natural and Laboratory Settings10.22358/jafs/189963/2024 ↗
51. Duckweed (Lemna minor D0158): A Promising Protein Source for Food Security10.3126/banko.v34i1.63668 ↗
52. Goswami, R.K., Sharma, J., Shrivastav, A.K., Kumar, G., Glencross, B.D., Tocher, D.R., and Chakrabarti, R. (2022). Effect of Lemna Minor Supplemented Diets on Growth, Digestive Physiology and Expression of Fatty Acids Biosynthesis Genes of Cyprinus Carpio. Sci. Rep., 12.10.1038/s41598-022-07743-x ↗
53. Does Ingestion of Duckweed (Lemna minor) Improve the Growth and Productive Performance of Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) given Formulated Feeds in a Recirculation System?10.1007/s10499-021-00743-0 ↗
54. Irabor, A.E., Obakanurhie, O., Nwachi, F.O., Ekokotu, P.A., Ekelemu, J.K., Awhefeada, O.K., Adeleke, L.M., Pierre Jrn, H., and Adagha, O. (2022). Duckweed (Lemna minor) Meal as Partial Replacement for Fish Meal in Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Juvenile Diets. Livest. Res. Rural. Dev., 34, Available online: http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd34/1/3406irabo.html.
55. Goyal, S., Ott, D., Liebscher, J., Höfling, D., Müller, A., Dautz, J., Gutzeit, H.O., Schmidt, D., and Reuss, R. (2021). Sustainability Analysis of Fish Feed Derived from Aquatic Plant and Insect. Sustainability, 13.10.3390/su13137371 ↗
56. Effect of Offering Fresh Duckweed (Lemna minor) to Chickens Fed Restricted Levels of Maize Meal and Protein Concentrate in Confinement
57. Insights into Phytase-Containing Transgenic Lemna minor (L.) as a Novel Feed Additive10.1007/s11248-018-0068-z ↗
58. Use of Duckweed (Lemna L.) in Sustainable Livestock Production and Aquaculture—A Review10.2478/aoas-2018-0048 ↗
59. Concentration of Metabolizable Energy and Digestibility of Energy, Phosphorus, and Amino Acids in Lemna Protein Concentrate Fed to Growing Pigs10.2527/jas.2014-8146 ↗
60. Safety of Water Lentil Protein Concentrate from a Mixture of Lemna Gibba and Lemna Minor as a Novel Food Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
61. Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Lemna minor L. with Hirudin and β-Glucuronidase Genes10.1134/S0003683819080076 ↗
62. Tan, X., Chen, S., Fang, Y., Liu, P., Hu, Z., Jin, Y., Yi, Z., He, K., Li, X., and Zhao, L. (2022). Rapid and Highly Efficient Genetic Transformation and Application of Interleukin-17B Expressed in Duckweed as Mucosal Vaccine Adjuvant. Biomolecules, 12.10.3390/biom12121881 ↗
63. Impact of a Novel Phytase Derived from Aspergillus Nidulans and Expressed in Transgenic Lemna Minor on the Performance, Mineralization in Bone and Phosphorous Excretion in Laying Hens
64. System Management of Lemna minor in Aquaponics10.1111/are.15637 ↗
65. Duckweed Application in Nature-Based System for Water Phytoremediation and High-Value Coproducts at Family Agrisystem from a Circular Economy Perspective10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170714 ↗
66. Nutrient Bioremediation Efficiency of Bacterial Biofilms and Plant Based Biofilters in a Recirculating Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) Culture System
67. The Usage of Aquatic Floating Macrophytes (Lemna and Wolffia) as Biofilter in Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS)10.4194/1303-2712-v13_1_13 ↗
68. Inclusion of Organic and Inorganic Extractive Species Improves Growth, Survival and Physiological Responses of GIFT Fish Reared in Freshwater Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture System10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.740346 ↗
69. Mortality of Black-Band Myleus Myloplus Schomburgkii Due to Poor Water Quality Associated with Overpopulation of Duckweeds in a Culture Pond in the Peruvian Amazonia10.24841/fa.v30i1.543 ↗