Supplementing lysolecithin in corn-oil based diet enhanced growth and improved body biochemical composition in juvenile stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus)

A 56-days nutritional trial was conducted to examine the influence of including a corn-oil based diet with lysolecithin (LL) on stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) juveniles. Fish were fed four experimental diets (44% crude protein, 15% crude lipid) containing graded levels of LL [0 (control), 0.5, 1 and 2%)]. One hundred and eighty juvenile fish (45.3 +/- 0.1 g, mean +/- standard deviation) were stocked in twelve 300 L-polyethylene tanks containing ground water at 18.9 +/- 0.5 degrees C. Feeds were offered to fish at apparent satiation four times daily. Fish fed 1% LL-supplemented diet had higher growth and better feed conversion ratio than the control group (P < 0.05). The amounts of protein and lipid levels in the whole body increased in fish fed LL-supplemented diets compared to control, whereas the levels of n-6 PUFA, particularly linoleic acid, increased in fish fed 0.5 and 1% LL-supplemented diets. Total long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids increased in fish fed 1% LL-supplemented diet. Regarding digestive enzymes, trypsin (alkaline pancreatic proteases) and pepsin (acid gastric protease) activities decreased with increasing LL in the diet. Overall, these results indicated that 1% LL is recommended for better growth performance of stellate sturgeon juveniles.