大豆低聚糖对牙鲆营养效应的研究：Ⅱ 消化率和消化生理

本试验比较研究了不同蛋白源(鱼粉,FM;大豆分离蛋白,SPI)基础饲料中添加大豆低聚糖(SBOS)对牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)消化道(胃、幽门盲囊、前肠、中肠和后肠)和肝脏消化酶活性、饲料表观消化率和消化道(胃、小肠)组织结构的影响。分别以FM、SPI作为主要蛋白源,配制了4种等氮等能饲料。其中,饲料FM、SPI分别以FM、SPI作为主要蛋白源;饲料FMO、SPIO分别在饲料FM、SPI基础上添加10%SBOS(水苏糖：2.61%;棉籽糖：0.61%)。试验表明：①饲料中添加SBOS普遍降低了牙鲆消化道和肝脏蛋白酶活性,但差异均不显著(p > 0.05)。FM基础饲料中添加SBOS显著降低了肝脏脂肪酶活性(p < 0.05),而对消化道脂肪酶活性无显著影响;SPI基础饲料中添加SBOS显著提高了前肠脂肪酶活性,降低了胃和中肠脂肪酶的活性,而对幽门盲囊、后肠和肝脏脂肪酶活性均无显著影响。FM基础饲料中添加SBOS显著降低了中肠淀粉酶活性,提高了胃淀粉酶活性(p < 0.05),而对幽门盲囊、前肠、后肠和肝脏淀粉酶活性无显著影响;SPI基础饲料中添加SBOS显著提高了胃和前肠淀粉酶活性,降低了中肠脂肪酶活性(p < 0.05),而对幽门盲囊、后肠和肝脏淀粉酶活性无显著影响;②FM基础饲料中添加SBOS显著降低了饲料干物质表观消化率(p < 0.05),而对粗蛋白、粗脂肪和能量表观消化率均无显著影响(p > 0.05)。SPI基础饲料中添加SBOS对干物质、粗蛋白、粗脂肪和能量表观消化率均无显著影响;③饲料中添加SBOS对牙鲆胃和小肠组织结构均无明显负面影响。试验结果表明,饲料中添加SBOS对牙鲆消化道和肝脏消化酶活性、饲料表观消化率和消化道组织结构均没有表现出明显的负面效应;大豆蛋白源中含有的SBOS不是影响牙鲆对其利用率差的主要因素。     

Gastric digestion and evacuation in whiting, Merlangius merlangus (L.)

Three meal sizes of sandeels were fed to whiting in order to monitor the evacuation of food out of the stomach. The stomach contents were sampled at intervals after feeding, using a stomach pump. In such experiments, the proportion of fish with empty stomachs tends to increase with time and, since stomach contents are limited to zero or positive values, the variance of the stomach contents becomes censored at zero. This tends to produce a curved relationship between mean stomach content and time, which gives the impression that evacuation rate slows down at low levels of stomach fullness. By taking account of censoring, it was shown that the evacuation curve generated for whiting was consistent with and could be generated from a linear model in which the rate of gastric evacuation exhibited by the fish was constant and independent of meal size, level of stomach fullness and time after feeding. The parameters of the linear model were estimated by maximum likelihood and then applied in a second model to predict the observed mean stomach content. The average gastric evacuation rate of whiting of mean weight 268 g at 10°C was 0.31 g h⁻¹.     

发酵豆粕对圆斑星鲽生长及消化能力的影响

为探讨圆斑星鲽(Verasper variegatus)饲料中发酵豆粕的适宜添加量, 以鱼粉和发酵豆粕为蛋白源, 鱼油和豆油为脂肪源, 分别添加0、10%、20%、30%和40%的发酵豆粕替代0、9.81%、19.63%、29.44%和39.26%的鱼粉蛋白, 设计5种等蛋白(50%)、等脂(8%)的实验饲料(分别表示为Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ和Ⅴ), 每组设3个重复, 每重复15尾鱼, 初始体重为(49.01.0) g, 经过8周的饲养实验, 结果表明: (1)饲料效率随饲料中发酵豆粕水平的升高逐渐降低, 饲料中发酵豆粕水平为20%时, 鱼体的终末体重、特定生长率和摄食量均会显著降低(P0.05)。(2)全鱼水分和灰分含量随饲料中发酵豆粕水平的升高而升高, 粗蛋白和粗脂肪含量则随发酵豆粕水平的升高而降低。(3)胃蛋白酶和肝脂肪酶活力随饲料中发酵豆粕水平的增加先降低后升高, Ⅰ组最高, 显著高于Ⅲ组 (P0.05), 但与Ⅱ组无显著性差异(P0.05); Ⅱ、Ⅲ和Ⅴ组的胃脂肪酶活力显著高于其他两组(P0.05); 肠淀粉酶活力则随饲料中发酵豆粕水平的增加先升高后降低, Ⅲ组最高, 显著高于Ⅰ组(P0.05),但与Ⅱ组无显著性差异(P0.05); 其他消化酶活力(肠蛋白酶、胃淀粉酶、肠脂肪酶)均无显著性差异(P0.05)。(4)Ⅰ组的皱襞高度和肠壁厚度均显著高于其他组(P0.05), 各组的黏膜厚度无显著性差异(P0.05)。综上所述, 在饲料中添加10%的发酵豆粕对圆斑星鲽的生长、饲料利用和形体指标无显著性影响,过量添加则抑制鱼体的生长。     

The effects of various diets on chitinase and ß-glucosidase activities and the condition of cod, Gadus morhua (L.)

Groups of cod, Gadus morhua (L.), were fed exclusively on fish, crustaceans, or crustacean shells for a period of 3 weeks. Chitinase and ß-glucosidase activities were measured in enzyme extracts of stomach contents, stomach tissue, pyloric caeca, intestinal contents, and intestine tissue, and compared to the enzyme activities of control fish starved over the same period. Fulton's condition factor K , liver lipid content and liver water content were determined to estimate the effects of the diets on the condition of cod.
general, the highest chitinase activities were measured in samples of cod that had been fed on whole crustaceans. In this feeding group, there was also a remarkable increase of activity by a factor of four to eight in the pyloric caeca, compared to the group fed on fish and the control group, respectively.
Measurements of ß-glucosidase activity revealed no similar dependence on food quality, ß-glucosidase occurrence seemed to be mainly restricted to the pyloric caeca and the intestine of cod.     

Digestibility of chitin in cod,Gadus morhua,in vivo

Sixteen cod,Gadus morhua (L.), were individually fed a single ration of shrimps,Crangon allmanni. Four fish were killed and examined 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after the fish had been fed. Chitinase activities were measured in the extracts of stomach contents, stomach tissue, pyloric caecae, intestinal contents and intestinal tissue. The level of enzyme activity in different parts of the digestive tract was shown to be dependent on the phase of the digestive process. High concentrations of the chitin degradation product N-acetyl-D-glucosamine were determined in the stomach and in the intestinal contents. Based on the chitin concentration in the food organisms and the individual food uptake, the amount of chitin consumed by each fish could be calculated. Only up to 9% of the ingested chitin was recovered from the intestinal contents of the fish at any given time after feeding (6, 12, 24 and 48 h). In addition, only 2.4% of the chitin consumed with the food could be recovered in the collected faeces of the fish. The 4 cod killed 48 h after feeding had completely emptied their stomach. Chitin digestion in these fish was calculated to have been 90%.     

Protein digestion and ion concentrations in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii Rich.) digestive tract in sea- and fresh water

• 1.1. Rainbow trout maintained in fresh water or Actapted to sea-water for 24 hr were fed casein-based dry diet. After feeding, fish were kept in fresh water (FW) or transferred to artificial sea-water (SW) and sacrificed after 10 or 20 hr.
• 2.2. The digestive tract was separated into five parts: stomach, pyloric caeca region, middle intestine and two equal lengths of rectum.
• 3.3. The content of these parts was analysed for ions Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, Mg²⁺ and for free, peptide and total amino acids.
• 4.4. In the fish stomach all ions, with the exception of Ca²⁺, indicate drinking of sea-water. In the pyloric caeca region Na⁺ appears to be efficiently absorbed in SW fish but influxed in FW fish. In the rectum of SW fish K⁺ appears to be reabsorbed but Na⁺ concentrated in faeces.
• 5.5. Free amino acid concentrations were always higher in gut lumen of SW than in FW fish in respect to time after feeding and portion of intestinal content. Free amino acids constitute at most 7.4–8.7% of total amino acids in the content of pyloric caeca region.
• 6.6. Peptide amino acids, being mostly di-, tri- and tetra-peptides, increased in stomach content from 14.7 to 28.4% of the total, from 6 to 10 hr after a meal in SW fish. Peptide amino acids constituted 80.3–89.0% of total amino acids in intestinal content of the pyloric caeca region. These peptide portions decreased in the mid-intestine (47.5–52.5%) and increased again in the rectum (73.6–76.0%).
• 7.7. It was concluded that in rainbow trout fed in both sea- or fresh water, ion concentrations do not seem to interfere with protein digestion and nutrient absorption in alimentary tract.

     

Temporal changes in digestive enzyme activities in the gastrointestinal tract of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) (Linneo 1758) following feeding

Changes occurring after feeding in the digestive enzyme activities of European eel were investigated to provide some insights into the digestive physiology of this fish. Total and specific proteases, amylase and lipase activities were measured using standard biochemical assays over a 24 h cycle in fed eels, compared to starved ones, under the same rearing conditions. In the gastrointestinal tract of fed eels quantitative changes started 4 h after feeding and continued later on; conversely, in starved eels enzyme activities remained unchanged over time. In fed eels, total and specific protease activities showed an overall increasing trend in the intestine, while in the stomach they progressively decreased to values 22–50% lower than those measured at the pre-feeding time; this behaviour probably reflected the progression of digesta along the intestinal tract. The prolonged secretory response of European eel to food ingestion proved its extended activity in the digestive process.     

A gastric evacuation model for three predatory gadoids and implications of using pooled field data of stomach contents to estimate food rations

The general applicability of the square root model to describe gastric evacuation in predatory gadoids independently of meal size was verified through experiments on whiting Merlangius merlangus , saithe Pollachius virens and cod Gadus morhua fed different fish and crustacean prey. Gastric evacuation rate was related by a negative power function to energy density of fish prey over an extended range from 3·4 to 11·5 kJ g^-1 of the effector variable. Gastric evacuation of crustacean prey seemed to depend on the characteristics of their exoskeleton. Gastric evacuation of mixed meals composed of fish prey with different energy densities could be described as a function of the overall energy density. The evacuation rate of each of the prey could be described directly by their share of the stomach content. A full gastric evacuation model including predator size, temperature and prey energy density was established for whiting, saithe and cod. It was demonstrated that estimates of food rations might be severely biased by use of mean values for prey composition and total mass of stomach contents.     

Effects of temperature, prey type and prey size on gastric evacuation in small cod and whiting

Gastric lavage was used to investigate the effects of temperature, prey type and prey size on gastric evacuation in small cod Gadus morhua and whiting Merlangius merlangus . The fish were fed to satiation and subsequently the stomach contents were sampled to determine the rate at which food was evacuated. Satiation meal size was positively related to temperature and differed between prey types. The gastric evacuation rate (GER) also tended to increase with temperature and varied with prey type. GER at temperatures of 11.3–12.7° C averaged 1.5–1.7 times higher than at 6–9.5° C. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the evacuation of lugworm Arenicola marina , sandeel Ammodytes spp., and herring Clupea harengus , but the GER of brown shrimp Crangon vulgaris was much slower (P<0.05). No significant changes in GER were observed when fish were fed on three different size groups of either herring or brown shrimp. In whiting, there was no significant difference in the GER of individual herring or brown shrimp when they were fed as single species meals or incorporated in meals containing a mixture of prey species.     

4 种不同脂肪源对太平洋鲑生长和体组成的影响

在日粮中添加11.5%的4 种不同来源脂肪饲养180 尾初始重约为110g 的太平洋鲑(Oncorhynchus spp.)于水泥池中56d。实验分4 组,每组3个平行池,每池15尾鱼。研究日粮中4 种不同来源脂肪对淡水养殖太平洋鲑生长性能、体组成与品质的影响。4 组脂肪源分别为鱼油(实验1 组)、大豆油(实验2 组)、大豆磷脂(实验3 组)和玉米油(实验4 组)。实验表明:(1) 实验各组太平洋鲑存活率相似,但大豆磷脂组的特定生长率显著好于鱼油组、大豆油组和玉米油组(P0.05)。大豆磷脂组、大豆油组和玉米油组的饲料效益显著好于鱼油组(P< 0.05); (2) 大豆油组、大豆磷脂组和玉米油组太平洋鲑肠系膜脂肪与肝脏脂肪含量不同程度低于鱼油组,而肌肉中脂肪含量不同程度低于鱼油组; (3) 实验各组太平洋鲑肝脏脂肪、肌肉脂肪和肠脂中总多不饱和脂肪酸组成基本相似,但玉米油组、大豆磷脂组和大豆油组太平洋鲑总n-3 多不饱和脂肪酸比例较鱼油组显著下降,而总n-6 系多不饱和脂肪酸比例显著提高(P<0.05);(4) 玉米油组、大豆磷脂组和大豆油组太平洋鲑血浆中脂肪分解酶、甘油三酯和高密度脂蛋白指标较鱼油组不同程度上升;(5) 实验各组太平洋鲑解剖组织学检查未见异常病理变化。实验结果表明,淡水养殖条件下,太平洋鲑日粮中脂肪以添加大豆磷脂的生长性能最好,大豆油、玉米油和鱼油效果相似,添加玉米油、大豆磷脂和大豆油均不影响太平洋鲑健康状况和品质。       

The effects of alpha-lactabumin and whey protein concentrate on dry matter recovery, TCA soluble protein levels, and peptide distribution in the rat gastrointestinal tract

The effects of two dietary proteins on dry matter recovery, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) soluble protein concentration, and peptide distribution in gastrointestinal contents were investigated in rats trained to consume, in a single 2-hour daily meal, diets containing alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) or whey protein concentrate (WPC) for two weeks. Compared with the WPC diet, the alpha-LA diet emptied faster from the stomach. Dry matter recovery was higher in the stomach contents of rats fed the WPC diet than in those given the alpha-LA diet, but dry matter content in the small intestine was comparable. TCA soluble protein levels in the stomach and the small intestinal contents were also significantly (P < 0.001) higher in rats fed the WPC diet. The concentration of peptides having molecular weights (MW) ranging from 12,500-30,000 daltons (Da) was higher in the stomach contents of rats fed the WPC diet. Conversely, the level of peptides ranging from 5000-12,500 Da was higher in the stomach contents of rats fed the alpha-LA diet. For both diets, the small intestinal contents were characterized by high levels of amino acids and small peptides. These results suggest that the hydrolysis and absorption of alpha-LA is faster than that of WPC.     

共轭亚油酸对草鱼肝脏和肌肉组织的细胞学形态、抗氧化能力以及脂肪代谢相关基因表达的影响

采用65d的生长实验研究共轭亚油酸(CLA)对草鱼肝脏和肌肉细胞学形态、抗氧化能力以及脂肪代谢相关基因表达的影响。共配制7种近似等氮(粗蛋白: 36 g/100 g)等脂(粗脂肪: 4.5 g/100 g)的饲料: 0 (对照组)、0.5 (CLA0.5)、1 (CLA1)、1.5 (CLA1.5)、2 (CLA2)、2.5 (CLA2.5)和3 g/100 g CLA (CLA3)。每个饲料组均设置3个生物学重复,实验鱼初始体重约为(5.08±0.08) g。实验结果显示:与对照组相比,CLA0.5-CLA2.5组草鱼肝脏和肌肉组织细胞学形态均无明显异常,但CLA3组肝细胞线粒体空泡化,内质网肿胀,排列过于紧密;肌细胞肌节结构松散,肌原纤维降解;在CLA1.5-CLA2.5组肝脏和肌肉中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)活力均显著上升(P<0.05);在CLA1.5-CLA3组中肝脏过氧化氢酶(CAT)活力均显著高于对照组(P<0.05),但谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)活力无显著变化(P>0.05),且在CLA0.5-CLA3组中肌肉CAT和GR活力均无显著变化(P>0.05)。CLA1.5-CLA2组肝脏中MDA含量显著低于对照组(P<0.05),而CLA2.5-CLA3组MDA含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。CLA3组肌肉中MDA含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,在CLA1.5-CLA2.5组肝脏和肌肉中乙酰辅酶A羧化酶(ACC) mRNA表达显著下调(P<0.05),脂蛋白脂酶(LPL)、激素敏感性脂肪酶(HSL)和过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体α(PPARα)均显著上调表达(P<0.05)。在CLA2-CLA3组肝脏以及CLA1.5-CLA2和CLA3组肌肉中脂肪酸去饱和酶2(FAD2)mRNA显著上调表达(P<0.05)。过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ(PPARγ)mRNA在CLA1-CLA3组肝脏中显著下调表达(P<0.05),而其在肌肉中均无显著变化(P>0.05)。综上所述,结合2%CLA在不影响草鱼的生长和饲料利用,且显著降低肝脏脂肪积累,研究结果建议,2% CLA在不影响草鱼肝脏和肌肉组织细胞学形态的前提下,可有效提高其肝脏和肌肉组织抗氧化能力并促进其脂肪分解代谢以及抑制脂肪合成代谢相关基因表达。     

Diet comparison between pelagic and demersal whiting in the North Sea

Pelagic North Sea whiting Merlangius merlangus preyed upon (pelagic) sprat and sandeel, while demersal whiting preyed upon (demersal) Norway pout and herring. Values of diet breadth were low for both feeding groups using Levin's index. Diet overlaps within layers were low ( D <0·25), while the between layer food overlap was moderate ( D =0·25–0·74) to high ( D >0·74) using Schoener's index. Selection of prey was density dependent. However, prey size also played an important role. The diet of whiting shifted from amphipods and mysids to fish with increasing predator length, and the length of prey consumed increased significantly with length of whiting. The fact that the stomach contents differed between the feeding groups demonstrates the need for a sampling design that includes both pelagic and demersal habitats when trying to quantify the diet of whiting.     

Gastric evacuation in endangered Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii): Effects of body and meal sizes

This study aimed to parameterize the effects of body and meal sizes on the gastric evacuation (GE) of farmed Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) fed on live food (whiting fish) or commercial pellets. The radiography technique was used to monitor the evacuation of food from the stomach into the intestine at postprandial time. Acipenser gueldenstaedtii of different body sizes (total length ranged 82–105 cm) were fed on meal sizes ranged from 23 to 72 g composed of either live food or commercial pellets (had a 20% of BaSO₄ as a radiopaque material). The square root model was found to adequality describe the process of GE in A. gueldenstaedtii independently of meal type and size. The effects of fish size on GER was described by simple power model and can be summarized by , where ρ_L was 0.000053 for live food and 0.000062 for commercial pellets (estimated from combined GE data), S_t is stomach contents (g), L is fish total length (cm) and t is time (h). The results of this study will provide a useful tool to estimate the stomach fullness of A. gueldenstaedtii at postprandial time t. Such information should assess the feeding strategy to minimize feed wastage and optimize the fish growth.     

Nutrient leaching and settling rate characteristics of the faeces of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and the implications for modelling of solid waste dispersion

The present study determined the settling velocity and leaching rates of carbon and nitrogen from the faecal matter of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed two commercial diets, high energy (HE) and standard, in three separate experiments (December, March and May) which coincided with winter, spring and summer. Faecal settling velocities for individual samples were in the range of 3.7–9.2 cm s^?1. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in settling velocities among the three experiments, with lowest velocities measured in faecal samples collected in winter and highest velocities measured in samples collected in summer. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in faecal settling velocity among fish fed the different diet types. Faecal nutrient content in the different treatment groups prior to leaching was 269–318 mg g^?1 for carbon and 28–37 mg g^?1 for nitrogen. Both carbon and nitrogen contents were higher in faeces from fish fed the standard diet than in fish fed the HE diet (P < 0.05). Thus the use of HE diets resulted in a 12% reduction in faecal carbon content and an 8% reduction in faecal nitrogen when compared with standard diets. There were no consistent differences in faecal carbon among samples collected during the three experiments; however, significant differences in faecal nitrogen content were detected in samples collected on the three different occasions. Leaching of faecal carbon and faecal nitrogen ranged between 4–14% and 9–16% of the original amount, respectively, after 2.5‐min immersion in sea water, although there was no further significant (P > 0.05) leaching after this time. No significant difference in nutrient leaching rate was found in faeces of fish fed HE and standard diets, and no significant differences in leaching rates were apparent among samples collected at different times of the year. These values suggest there may be an overestimation by dispersion models of the amount of nutrients entering seabed sediments. The amount of nutrients leaching from faeces may also have an important role in nutrient flux in the water column.     

Eating catch of the day: the diet of porbeagle shark Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre 1788) based on stomach content analysis,and the interaction with trawl fisheries in the south-western Atlantic (52° S–56° S)

This work examined the diet of the porbeagle shark Lamna nasus in the south-west Atlantic Ocean (SWAO, Argentina, 52° S–56° S) by analysing the stomach content information obtained by scientific observers who sampled specimens captured as by-catch on-board commercial fishing vessels from 2010 to 2020. A total of 148 fishing sites were analysed, in which the estimated catch was composed mainly of hoki Macruronus magellanicus (56.00%) and southern blue whiting Micromesistius australis (33.13%). From 413 porbeagle sharks sampled (292 females and 121 males) ranging from 71 to 241 cm total length (L_T) (mean: 179.76 ± 26.74 cm), 310 (75.06%) contained food in the stomachs. The forage fish were mainly hoki M. magellanicus (23.53%) and southern blue whiting M. australis (19.05%), followed by the Patagonian sprat Sprattus fuegensis (4.48%) and nototheniids (1.4%). Cephalopods and crustaceans accounted for 10% of the diet. The estimated trophic level was 4.35. Generalized linear models revealed that the consumption of hoki M. magellanicus and southern blue whiting M. australis increased with the L_T of the porbeagle shark. Moreover, smaller porbeagle sharks preyed upon both small and large teleost fish, whereas larger porbeagle sharks predated exclusively upon large fish. The diet of porbeagle shark involved interactions with fisheries as it fed upon the fish species that constituted the main catch in the analysed fishing sites, as well as the main catches of the austral trawl fisheries. The ecological role of porbeagle shark observed in the SWAO exposed implications for fisheries management from a multispecies perspective.     

The regurgitation of stomach contents in trawl caught whiting, evidence of a predator size effect

The rate of regurgitation of food from the stomachs of trawl caught whiting Merlangius merlangus was negatively correlated with fish size. Increased musculature of the oesophageal sphincter in larger fish may enable them to resist the forced expulsion of their stomach contents to a greater extent.     

Growth performance and body composition in response to dietary protein and lipid levels in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) subjected to normal and temporally restricted feeding regimes

A factorial experiment was designed to examine the effect on compensatory growth (CG) of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus fed diets containing different protein and lipid levels under normal and temporally restricted feeding regimes. Four diets were formulated to contain either 30% or 36% crude protein, and 5% or 11% crude lipid. Triplicate replicates of each treatment were assigned to 24 150‐L tanks (20 fish/tank density). Fish (mean initial weight ± SD = 8.79 ± 0.34 g) were then fed either the normal feeding regime (thrice daily to apparent satiation) or the restricted regime (1 day feed deprivation followed by 3 days of feeding to apparent satiation) over a 44‐days study period. Fish receiving a diet under the restricted regime achieved weight gains (WG) comparable to fish consuming the diet containing 30% protein and 5% lipids under the normal feeding regime. Fish maintained on the restricted feeding regime exhibited reduced feed intake (FI), WG, feed efficiency ratio (FE), protein efficiency rate (PER) and hepatosomatic index versus fish on the normal feeding regime, except WG in fish fed the diet with 30% protein and 5% lipids. However, the resultant FI (85%~94%) was higher than the excepted 75% intake when fish were subjected to the restricted regime. Feeding 11% lipid diets led to improved FI, WG, FE, and PER compared to feeding the 5% lipid diets. Increased FI, WG, and FE, but reduced PER were observed in fish fed with 36% protein versus fish fed 30% protein. Fish receiving the 36% protein diets had lower whole‐body moisture and ash contents, but elevated whole‐body protein and lipid contents compared to those receiving the 30% protein diets. Whole‐body moisture contents were lower, but whole‐body protein, lipid and ash contents were higher in fish fed 11% lipid diets than in fish fed 5% lipid diets. There was an increase in whole‐body moisture content, but a decrease in protein and lipid content in response to the restricted feeding regime. Ash content was not affected by the feeding regime. The present study shows that Nile tilapia fed diets subjected to a restricted feeding regime exhibited growth comparable to those fed the diet at 30% protein and 5% lipid levels under a normal feeding regime. This positive effect was more pronounced in diets at a high protein level or in a combination of high protein and lipid levels.     

In situ visualization of o-phthalate esters in gastrointestinal tract of the frog Rana esculenta

The regional distribution and relative occurrence of phthalates were studied immunohistochemically by confocal laser scanning microscopy in the alimentary tract of the green frog, Rana esculenta, using an antibody against o-phthalate esters. Many positive sites indicating the basal presence of phthalate esters were identified. The immunoreactive cells were located in the gastric glands of the stomach and in the intestinal epithelium regions with variable frequencies. The regional distribution of phathalate-accumulating cells resembled that of fish and demonstrated that these endocrine disruptors not only enter via the alimentary canal, but also bioaccumulate inside cells specialized in secretion as well as absorption functions.     

Dietary Lipid Levels Influence Lipid Deposition in the Liver of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) by Regulating Lipoprotein Receptors,Fatty Acid Uptake and Triacylglycerol Synthesis and Catabolism at the Transcriptional Level

Ectopic lipid accumulation has been observed in fish fed a high-lipid diet. However, no information is available on the mechanism by which dietary lipid levels comprehensively regulate lipid transport, uptake, synthesis and catabolism in fish. Therefore, the present study aimed to gain further insight into how dietary lipids affect lipid deposition in the liver of large yellow croaker(Larimichthys crocea). Fish (150.00±4.95 g) were fed a diet with a low (6%), moderate (12%, the control diet) or high (18%) crude lipid content for 10 weeks. Growth performance, plasma biochemical indexes, lipid contents and gene expression related to lipid deposition, including lipoprotein assembly and clearance, fatty acid uptake and triacylglycerol synthesis and catabolism, were assessed. Growth performance was not significantly affected. However, the hepato-somatic and viscera-somatic indexes as well as plasma triacylglycerol, non-esterified fatty acids and LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly increased in fish fed the high-lipid diet. In the livers of fish fed the high-lipid diet, the expression of genes related to lipoprotein clearance (LDLR) and fatty acid uptake (FABP11) was significantly up-regulated, whereas the expression of genes involved in lipoprotein assembly (apoB100), triacylglycerol synthesis and catabolism (DGAT2, CPT I) was significantly down-regulated compared with fish fed the control diet, and hepatic lipid deposition increased. In fish fed the low-lipid diet, the expression of genes associated with lipoprotein assembly and clearance (apoB100, LDLR, LRP-1), fatty acid uptake (CD36, FATP1, FABP3) and triacylglycerol synthesis (FAS) was significantly increased, whereas the expression of triacylglycerol catabolism related genes (ATGL, CPT I) was reduced compared with fish fed the control diet. However, hepatic lipid content in fish fed the low-lipid diet decreased mainly due to low dietary lipid intake. In summary, findings of this study provide molecular insight into the role of lipid deposition in the liver in response to different dietary lipid contents.