Effects of bile acids supplementation in feed on digestive capacity, antioxidant capacity, lipid metabolism, and intestinal microorganisms in Yellow River carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of adding bile acids (BA) to the feed on several biological aspects of Yellow River carp (Cyprinus carpio). The experimental design covered four groups, namely, CT, BA1, BA2, and BA3, fed diets containing 0 mL/kg, 0.1 mL/kg, 1.0 mL/kg, and 10.0 mL/kg of BA, respectively, and the Yellow River carp with an initial body weight of 46.13±0.74 g were fed for 28 days. The results revealed that BA increased trypsin and lipase activities, positively influencing growth performance. Additionally, it enhanced the activity of intestinal antioxidant-related enzymes and the expression of related genes. Meanwhile, our findings suggested that the addition of BA might restrict hepatic lipid deposition by inhibiting lipogenesis-related genes and stimulating lipolysis-related genes. Furthermore, BA significantly altered the intestinal microorganisms' flora structure, leading to a decrease in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria.