Abstract
Glycolipids are membrane lipids which act as cellular markers and also provide energy for the cells. The present study is an attempt to understand whether glycolipids can act as energy sources during fasting. To achieve this, we selected and subjectedAnabas testudineusto short-term (15 days) and long-term (60 days) laboratory starvation. We estimated glycolipids biochemically using a standard protocol in six different tissues. Results showed a selective decline in glycolipid concentration in certain tissues, and also an increase was observed in some tissues. Short-term fasting led to a decline in glycolipids in tissues such as brain (P<0.05), accessory respiratory organ (P<0.001), pectoral and lateral line muscle. Liver and kidney (P<0.002) reported an increase. Long term starvation also resulted in a decline in tissues such as liver (P<0.001), kidney (P<0.001), brain, and accessory respiratory organ. Muscle tissue,that is, both the pectoral (P<0.002) and lateral line muscle (P<0.05), showed an increase in the glycolipid fraction. This selective decline in glycolipid content of certain tissues suggests a possible utilization of these lipids during starvation and the significant upsurge observed in certain tissues suggests a simultaneous synthesis occurring along the degradation, probably reducing the oxidative stress created by ROS (reactive oxygen species).
Highlights
Fish, during their life time, are capable of withstanding prolonged periods of natural starvation caused due to migration, reproduction and during fish farming [1,2,3]
We report that glycolipids may be utilized as potential energy sources during starvation in Anabas testudineus
Short-term starvation caused a decrease in glycolipids in tissues such as brain, accessory respiratory organ, and pectoral lateral line muscle
Summary
Fish, during their life time, are capable of withstanding prolonged periods of natural starvation caused due to migration, reproduction and during fish farming [1,2,3]. In certain other fish species, liver glycogen stores are preserved and either protein is degraded via gluconeogenesis, or protein and lipid may be mobilized as energy substrates [6,7,8] Apart from these regular energy substrates, other energy molecules such as glycolipids, which are membrane lipids which have glucose and galactose attached to the lipid unit [9], may be considered as potential sources of energy by the starving animal, when required. These lipids can be enzymatically broken down to yield glucose or galactose and the entry of galactose into the glycolytic pathway is one of the feeder pathways in glycolysis, by which energy can be obtained Based upon these evidences, we hypothesize that glycolipids may be considered as efficient energy sources for the starving animal and the present study is an attempt in this direction
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