Abstract
This study investigated digestibility and amylase activity in Arctic charr and Eurasian perch fed different dietary levels of wheat starch. Eurasian perch (190 ± 0.5 g) and Arctic charr (102 ± 0.5 g) were fed one of six iso-nitrogenous diets containing 0, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% wheat starch. Each diet was fed to four replicate groups of fish to determine the impact of diet on the apparent digestibility (AD) of dry matter (DM), crude protein, starch, crude fat and energy. At the end of the experiment, tissue samples were collected for assessment of amylase activity in the proximal and distal intestine. The AD of DM, crude protein, starch, crude fat and energy differed between fish species (P 0.05) of dietary starch level on the AD of DM, crude protein, crude fat and energy. Overall, α-amylase activity correlated with the trends obtained for starch digestibility. The inclusion of wheat starch did not affect amylase activity within species.
Highlights
Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) are two important and highly appreciated finfish species in the Scandinavian countries
Both species are classified as carnivorous and feeds formulated for salmonids and sea bass have been used for intensive Arctic charr and Eurasian perch culture, they may not meet the nutritional requirements of the fish [9]
There were no significant differences in the apparent digestibility (AD) of crude protein (CP), starch and gross energy (GE) between dietary levels of starch inclusion in Arctic charr
Summary
Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) are two important and highly appreciated finfish species in the Scandinavian countries. Nutritional studies have been performed on protein and lipid digestion and requirements in Eurasian perch [4,5] and Arctic charr [6], but little is known about the impact of dietary levels of carbohydrates [7,8] Both species are classified as carnivorous and feeds formulated for salmonids and sea bass have been used for intensive Arctic charr and Eurasian perch culture, they may not meet the nutritional requirements of the fish [9]. Inclusion of available carbohydrates in the diet at the expense of fat can be a way to reduce feed costs It can have a protein saving effect [7], which should make it possible to decrease the dietary protein content without negative effects on fish performance. In general, the utilisation of dietary carbohydrates for energy purposes in salmonids and other carnivorous fish species appears to be limited [11,12]
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