Effect of normal and waxy maize starch on growth, food utilization and hepatic glucose metabolism in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles

We determined the effect of dietary starch on growth performance and feed utilization in European sea bass juveniles. Data on the dietary regulation of key hepatic enzymes of the glycolytic, gluconeogenic, lipogenic and amino acid metabolic pathways (hexokinase, HK; glucokinase, GK; pyruvate kinase, PK; fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, FBPase; glucose-6-phosphatase, G6Pase; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PD; alanine aminotransferase, ALAT; aspartate aminotransferase, ASAT and glutamate dehydrogenase, GDH) were also measured. Five isonitrogenous (48% crude protein) and isolipidic (14% crude lipids) diets were formulated to contain 10% normal starch (diet NS10), 10% waxy starch (diet WS10), 20% normal starch (diet NS20), 20% waxy starch (diet WS20) or no starch (control diet). Another diet was formulated with no carbohydrate, and contained 68% crude protein and 14% crude lipids (diet HP). Each experimental diet was fed to triplicate groups of 30 fish (initial weight: 23.3 g) on an equivalent feeding scheme for 12 weeks. The best growth performance and feed efficiency were achieved with fish fed the HP diet. Neither the level nor the nature of starch had measurable effects on growth performance of sea bass juveniles. Digestibility of starch was higher with waxy starch and decreased with increasing levels of starch in the diet. Whole-body composition and plasma metabolites, mainly glycemia, were not affected by the level and nature of the dietary starch. Data on enzyme activities suggest that dietary carbohydrates significantly improve protein utilization associated with increased glycolytic enzyme activities (GK and PK), as well as decreased gluconeogenic (FBPase) and amino acid catabolic (GDH) enzyme activities. The nature of dietary carbohydrates tested had little influence on performance criteria.