Effects of Amylopectin/Amylose Starch Ratio on Growth, Body Composition and Glycemic Response of Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis

Manipulation of the ratio of amylopectin (α‐[1,4] and α‐[1,6] linked glucose) to amylose (α‐[1,41 linked glucose) starches in the carbohydrate fraction of the diet has been used to improve carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in mammalian models. A 10‐wk feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of dietary amylopectin/amylose ratio on growth and composition of growth of advanced sunshine bass ( Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis ) fingerlings (60 g, initial weight). Fish were fed cold‐pelleted, semipurified, isonitrogenous (35% crude protein), isocaloric (3.6 kcaVg protein), isolipidic (5%) diets containing 25% carbohydrate. The carbohydrate fraction of the diets was composed of either glucose, dextrin, 100% amylopectin/0% amylose, 70% amylopectin/30% amylose, or 30% amylopectin/70% amylose. Diets differing in ratios of amylopectin/amylose were achieved by adjusting the proportion of high‐amylopectin (100% amylopectin) to high‐amylose (70% amylose) corn starch. Diets were fed to fish in quadruplicate 76‐L tanks (seven fish/tank) connected to a brackish water (5‐7%v) recirculating culture system with biofiltration. Weight gain ranged from 195 to 236% of initial weight (60 g) and was significantly greater ( P < 0.1) for fish fed diets containing 25% carbohydrate as dextrin or as 70% amylose and significantly lower in fish fed diets in which carbohydrate was composed of 30% amylose, 100% amylopectin, or glucose. Feed efficiency ranged from 0.52 to 0.61 and was higher in fish fed the diet containing the highest concentration of amylose and lower in fish fed the diet containing glucose. Hepatosomatic index was highest (2.71) in fish fed the diet containing glucose and lowest (1.401.45) in fish fed diets containing high‐amylose cornstarch. Intraperitoneal fat ratio was distinctly lower in fish fed diets containing some amylose as compared to those fed diets without amylose. Liver lipid was significantly lower (4.8%) in fish fed the diet containing glucose and almost twice as high (7.3‐8.9%) in fish fed the diets containing any starch. Glycogen content of the liver decreased from approximately 12% in fish fed the diet containing glucose to 5% in fish fed the diets containing amylose. Muscle proximate composition and ratio were unaffected by the dietary treatments. Fasting levels (15 h) of blood glucose in fish reared for 10 wk on the diet containing glucose were significantly elevated (5.5 mmol/L) when compared to fasting levels of those that had been reared on diets containing starch (3.4‐1.1 mmol/L). Fish fed the diet containing glucose exhibited maximum blood concentrations (14.6 mmoVL) 4 h postprandial then rapidly declined to nearly fasting levels within 8 h postprandial. In contrast, maximum plasma glucose concentrations in fish fed diets containing starch were roughly half (6.8‐8.1 mmol/L) those of fish fed the diet containing glucose. Blood glucose in fish fed diets containing dextrin or predominantly amylopectin starch remained elevated longer than that of fish fed diets containing glucose or predominantly amylose starch. Glycemic response appeared to decrease with increasing dietary amylose content. These data suggest that feeding diets in which a greater portion of the starch is amylose may be a useful strategy for improving carbohydrate use in sunshine bass.