Effects of dietary coated protease on growth performance, feed utilization, nutrient apparent digestibility, intestinal and hepatopancreas structure in juvenile Gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio)

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary protease on growth performance, feed utilization, whole-body proximate composition, nutrient digestibility, intestinal and hepatopancreas structure of juvenile Gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio (mean weight 8.08 +/- 0.18g). Six diets were prepared, including a positive control diet (dietary protein 350g/kg, PC), one negative control diet (dietary protein 33g/kg, NC) and four protease supplementations diets, which were 75, 150, 300 and 600mg/kg protease NC diet. After 12weeks of diet feeding in indoor recycle aquarium tanks, no significant difference (p>.05) was found on growth performance between fish fed diet with 75-600mg/kg protease and the PC group. Compared with the fish fed the NC diet, the specific growth rate of fish fed 300mg/kg protease increased significantly (p<.05), as well as protein efficiency ratios (p<.05), while feed conversion was the opposite (p<.05). The nutrient digestibility of crude protein and lipid was higher (p<.05) in fish fed 150mg/kg protease diet than the PC diet. Whole-body proximate composition of fish was not affected (p>.05) by the dietary treatment. Serum alkaline phosphatase and albumin were significantly affected by dietary protease (p<.05), while the content of total protein, glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities in serum was not affected (p>.05). Foregut muscular thickness was thinner (p<.05), when the fish fed diets supplementation of protease in 150 or 600mg/kg diet than the NC diet. Protease activities in hepatopancreas and foregut were higher (p<.05), in the fish fed 150 or 300mg/kg protease diet than the fish fed the PC diet, but those in the mid- and hindgut were not significantly affected (p>.05) by the dietary treatments. Based on the regression analysis of weight gain rate, the optimal dietary inclusion level of protease was 400mg/kg in the diet for juvenile Carassius auratus gibelio.